Welcome to the Midnight World
by mkspotligths
Summary: An ordinary life as a bartender was all Jaune expected out of his meager existence. Mixing cocktails and listening to the woes of those who needed an ear were the staples of his night. However, while stumbling down the wrong alleyway our protagonist is thrust into a situation where he'll have to face the things that go bump in the night. Welcome to the Midnight World Mr. Arc.
1. Werewolf Wicked Ch:1

_We're back! This halloween one shot will now become a full fledged story. Please read the notes on the bottom for update schedule!_

 _On with the show!_

* * *

 _Cover Art by: Crashman42_

 _Editing by: Freckles Fiction and Battle W0rn_

* * *

Werewolf Wicked

Chapter 1

"A werewolf, a fae, and a demigod walk into a bar. The bartender greets them and asks, 'What's your poison?' The werewolf answers, 'Silver.' The fae, 'Iron.' The demigod sighs before replying, 'Wine.'," I said, in between a two and a half second pour of gin, exactly the same amount of ounces.

The person across the counter paused in the middle of dragging out her stool, sparing me a raised eyebrow and a roll of her eyes. My favorite customer asked, "Was that a joke?"

Her dry response while expected, still caused a huff of air to leave my lips. I played with a comeback, danced with it. However, I couldn't let the distraction stop my work.

I continued with a splash of Wolfburn scotch.

"I thought it was funny."

"Too long. Your punchline could use some work."

"Ever thought of lightening up a bit, Blake?"

She didn't miss a beat, responding without taking her gaze off the book she always brought, "Stick to your day job."

"That's unfortunate considering I don't have one."

"I suppose you'll starve on the streets. What a shame."

"Then who will make your drinks? You'll be sorry you didn't laugh then," I said, while draining the mixture into a tall stemmed martini glass, chilled to the touch. Putting the final addition to her cocktail by dropping in a twist of lemon, I pushed the finished cocktail forward.

"Here you are Ms. Belladonna, a Silver Bullet."

Her deadpan stare, wrenched from the letters on the page, paid for all the setup.

"In case you run into a rampant werewolf. Their one true weakness."

"I may need to look for another place, one that doesn't have a bartender who tells terrible jokes." Before I could squawk she tucked a lock of raven colored hair, revealing a pale ear and a coy smile. "One who doesn't stare at my butt when he thinks I'm not looking."

I couldn't stop the blush that rushed up to my neck and my cheeks at being caught staring. Though, who could blame me?

Working at a bar one builds up a resistance towards the desired sex. If not, one would be blushing and stuttering at anyone who had a little too much to drink or wanted to have a good night. Bar staff would never get any work done.

Blake, however, stood apart from the normal, almost supernaturally. From the moment she stopped by a year ago, I couldn't take my eyes off her long limbs, her perfect nose, nor could I ignore the play of her hips whenever she left for the night.

I could stare for hours if she let me. To make it worse, apparently, she knew. Dammit. Thankfully, my regular seemed to be content with her victory and chose to take a small sip from the drink I crafted.

My choice for her drink was a game we played. She'd come in, always with a book in hand, sit on the same stool, and would let me try my hand at mixing a drink. Mostly due to pity at first, as a newly hired bartender I couldn't tell a highball from a rocks glass or vodka from gin. I still remember her first sip of my first drink. I wouldn't have served that abomination to my worst enemy, but as time went on and my mistakes became next to nothing she still asked me for a 'bartender's choice'. I think she just liked to see what new brew I could come up with.

Regardless, the game continued, today was no exception and it looked like I passed.

"Besides the build up, not bad," she said, going back to reading, letting the flow of conversation drift back to amiable chatter.

I stepped away to tend to other visitors and listened to their current woes. A bad day at work, trouble with the husband, and one silvered patron had just found out his father passed away. Each time I stood in front of them I did the best I could from my position.

I tended to their needs.

Some only needed a mug of beer and a cheerful smile, another a stiff drink with a stiffer nod. Others, were more delicate. I offered two shots and watched him drain one as the other stood alone, same as I did. The full glass and I watched him weep into the table, we both shouldered the burden in the way only silence could.

Every day it was something different, different reasons people sought out a bar and I made sure to attend to them all. I passed drinks across the hardwood counter every night, spent the right amount of time with each patron, but I always found myself back in the far end of the counter talking about anything and everything, with her.

The quiet girl with stories dancing in the gold of her eyes.

Today her book told a tale of a female knight rescuing a prince from certain death, only to fall down a crevasse, having to survive against the elements and grim alike. Before I could ask about why the duo had agreed to follow a barbarian to her campsite, Blake's scroll buzzed, the name Adam flashing in angry red letters.

I watched her gaze shift towards the device, eyebrows scrunching into a furrow, before she ended the call without a word.

"Problems with your boyfriend?" I asked with an aftertaste of jealousy, she never mentioned an Adam before.

When she started massaging her left bicep with her other hand I knew I made a mistake, doubly so when she glanced at the exit.

I cursed my stupidity, at violating one of the cardinal rules of bartending. How amateur and immature of myself, just like my very first day. _Patrons will talk if they want to, never pry._ Racking my brain for a fallback, one of the first stories I picked up as a bartender came to mind. Any idea would be better than nothing.

"Do you believe in magic?" I asked, already in the midst of preparing for the next part.

Her eyes zeroed back on to me, angst gone in exchange for rapt attention.

I had her now.

"I can make many drinks," I said, while cracking open a can of tomato juice, pausing to grab a new bottle of vodka. "But right now I can make the perfect drink because now, now is a powerful time to conduct magic."

I spun the fresh bottle on the counter, stopping its rotation where the spout pointed toward me, away from her. "The witching hour, a time where spirits, demons, and monsters roam Remnant. While humanity sleeps magic flows freely. Since you're here I can perform my magic."

Snatching the bottle up from the table I let my hands do the rest. Let the liquid flow for a two second pour, followed by a dash of paprika, three ounces of tomato juice in a collins glass, add the vodka and finish.

Pressing the ruddy mixture of crimson tomato and burgundy vodka toward the girl, I added the garnish. A sliver of jalapeños that I used to stir the drink, only enough where the two fluids swirled into a spiral of color. A perfect Bloody Murder.

Taking the proffered glass, Blake asked, "What was your magic?"

"My magic is the magic of bartenders. I heal the soul," I said, with a twirl of my fingers, breaking my persona only once she looked truly confused. "It also allows me to apologize for being nosy. Enjoy the drink on me."

The same thing I watched my boss do, when I first started working here, she broke into a small smile.

"You're too pure for this world, Jaune," she said in the midst of a sip, before pushing her chair out.

I watched her gather her things, pay her bill even when I told her it was free, and finally make her way to the door. I let a patron walk away unsatisfied.

The click of her long black boots stopped. She turned just enough where I could make out the barest hint of a smirk and one citrine eye, the iris appearing to glow from the light of the neon sign.

"Try not to stay out too late Jaune, they're too many monsters out there that would love to take a bite out of an amateur magician."

With her tip given, monetary and verbal, Blake left through the cherry wood doors, the sound of her boots drowned out as the noise of the bar flowed back into the forefront.

A surly voice asked what I was thinking, "You screwed that up, huh?"

"Yeah, I sure did," I replied, as I turned to the middle aged man, who sat in the first seat of the bar.

"Some bartender you are, should just stick to flipping burgers, buddy."

"Well, if someone would actually do their job, I could look for one."

It was an old conversation, the words said multiple times before in many variations. Marcus, the man who trained me and gave me the job in the first place, liked to drink his selection rather than make it. So he found me, some kid out of school with no path, but to serve him.

I got a job and he got rid of one, but it didn't mean I had to humor his crotchy personality all the time, even if I knew he had a heart of gold under it.

"With that giant screw up I'm going to call it for the night, Marcus. Looks like you'll have to work after all."

"What? You're leaving? How are you gonna pay the bills now? Not like your great writing degree is going to do it."

"Ha. Ha. You never know I might have a secret manuscript going."

"Why don't you tell me one of your stories then? I'm a great critic."

"See you tomorrow, Marcus." I tossed my apron toward the man.

"Dumb blond," grumbled Marcus, as he caught the apron in one hand and tried to fasten it on with swollen fingers. Arthritis, so he claimed, but with a glass in hand the man could create panacea.

Marching into the back room, I pulled my jacket off the hanger and slung it over my white shirt and vest, wishing I had my hoodie and jeans. Fishing out my scroll from my jacket I glanced at the missed calls.

My scroll couldn't send or receive texts, browse, or do much other than its primary function of taking calls. I couldn't afford an upgrade. My few friends adapted, their bright pink and green names bounced on the screen letting me know they had left me a voice message, their way of keeping me updated.

Deciding to listen to the messages later I stepped out into the slight chill of midnight Vale, sparing a moment to bask under the light of a waxing gibbous moon as I dug for my keys.

With keys in hand I strode down past the back alley into the near empty lot, right up to my old beater of a vehicle. The same one I had since college, its peeled and cracked body hadn't let me down since and I've never had a reason to replace it, not that I could if I wanted to.

Fumbling to place the key in the port and through the longing of my bed, I heard it.

A soft noise cried out into the empty night. Faint in volume, but close at the same time, it sounded like whimpering. What ever made the noise was afraid, frightened. The sound repeated itself the moment my door swung open with a creak.

I stared at the cracked leather seats and the sight of the ignition just a step away.

The sound repeated, this time a wail, instead of a whimper.

Sighing once, I slammed my door closed and stomped my way over to the noise. If a dog got its paw stuck in a grate, it better be the most thankful dog in all of Remnant.

Never say I wasn't a good guy.

With the future of my body in the warm caress of my blankets gone, I walked toward the noise. Backtracking out of the parking lot and moving deeper into the alleyway, the whimpering sounds continued. With every step the source of the noise moved just a bit further away, almost like it kept pace with me.

I followed the noise, until it lead to a narrower alleyway, this one clouded in a soft fog. The fog while not particularly odd for this area of Vale, looked different. Firstly, the air wasn't cold enough to cause it. Secondly, the white wisps of haze only barely drifted out of the alley and diffused into the clear air, as if someone had left a pot of dry ice in the alleyway and abandoned it.

This time when the voice cried out it felt just in front of my face, a mix between a whimper and a pained growl. I couldn't see anything, but I could almost feel something's body heat.

I leaned a bit closer to see if it would help, but life had other plans.

Like a bullet, a red blur slammed into my torso, throwing me backward, a bag of stinking trash breaking my fall.

"Gah, what is a human doing here?"

Swiping off the remains of someone's week old lunch, I looked up to the projectile, now revealing a girl dressed for war.

One silver knee pad slammed into the filth inches from my head, followed by another as the figure straddled me. Trailing up the appendages, past black cargo pants, and a crimson jacket, I found a pair of round eyes staring down at me. Furrowed brows waited for a response to the question.

"I would think you were a human as well, unless you're hiding an extra pair of ears somewhere?" I never could be sure with faunus.

A silver studded glove slammed over my mouth, the scent of aged leather and rotten food didn't mix as well as I imagined.

"Never mind just be quiet," hissed the girl, as she clamped down harder, preventing my next line.

The thought that I might be getting mugged crossed my mind, exponentially so when I felt the kiss of metal against my chest.

I tried to ask what she wanted, only able to speak in muffled ramblings.

My blood ran cold when I saw the chrome barrel of a gun pointing at my torso.

I froze, my eyes locked on trailing patterns of red traced upon the weapon. Geometrical in design. To me? Drops of blood.

"Shhh, be quiet."

Only when the girl hissed and pushed me deeper into the filth did I realize I was hyperventilating.

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, I didn't think this is where I would die. Mugged and left for dead in a deserted alleyway, buried in garbage. Who would tell my family, my friends? Who would get my guitar?

Then I heard it.

A growl, a mix of beast and chainsaw, reverberated across the area. My temperature dropped several more degrees. My breath froze in my throat. I didn't know anything that could make a sound like that.

"Damn," said girl above me and we were moving.

Heads shorter than me, she hauled me to my feet and shoved me back to the parking lot, her gun up and pointed behind her, away from me.

Maybe I wouldn't die.

The hope was squashed when a brown rocket slammed into the bag of trash we had just occupied.

A creature mixed between a bear, a wolf, plus a healthy dose of chemical mutation, lay coiled and crouched. Claws as long as my forearm sank into the spot where my head had been.

I now had an image to haunt my nightmares.

My new boogey monster's blue eyes stared back at mine and at first it looked shocked, before a twisted glee set in.

Then it howled.

My stomach flipped. The noise rattled my bones, just the cue I needed to turn and follow the insistent urging of the girl with the gun.

I had just turned and made my first step, something that would only take a second, when I felt the air behind my neck displace. The growling sounded fatally close behind.

I was going to die, at least I would have if I wasn't tackled at the last minute. A slice dug into my arm, instead of decapitating me right there. The sound of nails on a chalkboard screeched as the creature flew out of view.

Finally, finding some speech faculties returning, I eloquently asked, "What is that?!"

Looking back on it, that probably wasn't the best question at the time. The girl shook her head and half dragged half shoved me to the parking lot, the only escape.

"No time, move. Get out of here, out of the way. My sister and I can handle it," she yelled, a hard grimace the only thing visible under the crimson hood covering most of her face.

This time it was my turn to save her. Digging my hands into her military vest, I twisted in place, pulling her away as the creature materialized from the darkness, already swiping at the back of her head.

The creature snarled and missed by just a hair, instead taking a slice out of her jacket.

The girl looked behind me before her frown grew deeper.

"Change of plans, do you have any silver on you?"

I shook my head.

"I had to forget mine at home. Look, you have to get out of here. Quickly. Do you have a car? Good. Get it and drive home. Forget what happened and don't talk about it. Right now! Move!" said the girl, before she turned to face the monster.

Normally, this would be a point where I would comment about standing my ground and fighting like the masculine man I was, but with the sound of the thing's claws scrabbling against concrete, and the image of the same appendages raking across my ribs, I didn't argue.

Finding my legs I started to run back to my car.

Funny I always thought gunshots would sound more like a bang, instead seven pops filled the empty night. The following pained howl caused me to turn and slow my pace.

The girl, barely looking of age to drink, stood over the collapsed form of the monster. Even prone the size of the creature reached up to her hips, a mass of bristling fur, and several distinct oozing red holes.

"Tch, out of ammo," said the girl as she pocketed the pistol, making eye contact with me. "What did I say? Run, it's not dead."

I didn't know how to respond, it wasn't dead, but it was dying. The beast was clearly incapacitated and shouldn't it bleed out from there? My question answered itself and not for the first time I cursed my luck.

The growling started again followed by the quiet clinks of metal, as I watched several grey bullets push themselves out of the creature's flesh and drop to the ground.

Were the wounds closing? Nothing could heal that fast.

By the time the claws of the beast started twitching I was already following the girl closely behind, up the stairs of the car port.

"Where's your car?" asked the girl.

I pointed toward the baby blue paint job of my ride… all the way on the opposite side of the parking.

Her sigh was telling, yet it didn't slow her pace as she lead me through the other vehicles.

"Shouldn't that thing be dead?" I asked, in between breaths.

"Nope, needed silver and I didn't have time to load those."

"You shot it. Several times."

"Doesn't matter much if he can heal faster than he can bleed out."

"That's not normal."

"That really depends on your definition."

"Wha-"

She clamped her hand over my mouth, dragging me behind a parked vehicle only a few cars away from my own.

This time the howl was deafening. The deep rumbling, now a wet gurgle of perforated lungs. A crash followed shortly after, the crunching of metal as several car alarms went off.

I didn't feel safe at all. "How has nobody called the cops?" I whispered through the girl's gloved fingers.

"The Veil."

"Vale?"

"No. The _VEIL_. Look it doesn't matter." She turned my head forcing me to look into her eyes. "You need to listen. My sister is coming to help, but she's far away. We need to be very quiet and try and make it to your car. If we do, _you_ live. Got it?"

I almost answered verbally, but thought better on it and nodded.

"Good, stay low. We will make it," she finished, punctualized by several more crashes and the activation of airbags.

We crept past the hood of the car we hid behind, no sign of the creature, and slowly made our way to my car. I was almost crawling, trying as hard as I could to keep my profile as small as possible.

Another bang and a howl.

We passed one car, only another until we reached mine.

Rending metal, and the screech of tires skidding.

I sucked in a breath holding it in fear the creature could hear me in the cacophony of other noises.

A pause and a growl.

We made it, I fumbled for my keys.

The sound of a deep breath into a snout filling a very large set of lungs.

"Damn, so close," muttered the girl.

The creature was already upon us. Bounding over several cars and skittering off another, the creature's frothing maw filled my vision as it leapt the final distance trapping us between my vehicle and its own bulk. Its teeth snapped inches from my face.

I must have overloaded the fear center of my brain as the only reaction to my gruesome mauling and subsequent death was to extend my hand to the girl crouched near my sde.

"Thanks for the save earlier, I know it didn't work, but thanks. Jaune, Jaune Arc."

The girl quirked her eyebrow at my behavior before grasping my hand with a nod and replied, "Ruby Rose."

Our tormenter, either amused or debating which of us it wanted to eat first, gave us the time to make our final greetings or farewells. As we separated it seemed to have enough. Its hind legs pressed into the ground gathering power to lunge.

Right at the moment of release a large boom echoed in the alleyway, causing me to jump.

I was alive to jump?

Cracking open my eyes and looking toward where a mutant wolf had just about been ready to tear my face off was a crater and a cloud of dust. The same monster that spelled my doom, hacked and clawed futilely as it lay suspended by its neck by another of the same.

That comparison wouldn't do the newest arrival justice, golden fur and red eyes graced this one.

Each shift of the newest creature set off a cascade of dandelion and golden light as it moved, the street lights only serving to further showcase its rippling muscles. If the other creature looked like a monstrous hybrid, this one looked like a gold effigy of a timber wolf. If a normal wolf measured the size of a small car.

With a growl and a shake of its neck the golden wolf threw the other against the wall, cracking the bricks and several bones in the brown creature's body.

The blue eyed wolf staggered to its feet growling at its challenger.

The golden wolf didn't seem impressed, standing a head taller, it just stared back.

In a short standoff the two beasts met eyes. The brown one's growls reaching a crescendo spelling only violence, before it turned and fled out of the corridor.

Unfortunately, leaving Ruby and myself with another larger version of the same problem.

Counting in my head all the times I could have sinned to cause a situation like this, I prayed that the golden wolf didn't feel like playing with its food today.

Ruby's reaction on the other hand differed.

"Oh my Oum, nice save, Yang! I thought you'd never show up."

Wait… this thing was her sister? This was the person Ruby had mentioned would help her handle the situation? Unless I had missed that part of biology, I very much doubted they were related in any way.

The line 'what is a human doing here' came to mind… was Ruby one of them?

"Yang, wait are you hurt? What's going on? You're bleeding, oh my gosh, why aren't you reacting? YANG?!" shouted Ruby, who began shaking the golden beast as it slumped to the ground.

I observed from a distance. I watched what would send every science professor insane. What must have been an enormous amount of mass gradually shrunk down, getting smaller and smaller as fur receded back into the skin, bones cracked and popped as it reshaped. The knife like claws recessed into the creature's paws… well hands now.

After several minutes of defying physics, what was a monster of my worst imagination now appeared a girl, no a woman, nude and clutching at a weeping wound on her left side.

Apparently that was not a good sign, as Ruby immediately began shaking the woman's shoulders and yelled out her name, to receive no response.

My work persona came back, the mask slipping on through shaking hands. Once in place the shaking stopped, everything else that happened tonight, was pushed into the background as I tugged off my jacket. _Take care of the immediate issue, panic attack after._ It was just like handling a bar fight if I ignored the transforming monster part of it. Quickly undoing the buttons on my shirt I tied it around the woman's wound, applying pressure the best I could.

"Look, I don't know what the heck just happened, but shouldn't your sister be fine? Doesn't she heal like the other one?" I asked as I covered her with my jacket.

"If that's the case she should have healed already, that shot was from a while ago," said Ruby.

"Then we need to get her to the hospital."

"No, we can't, anywhere, but there."

"We can't just stay here. What if that thing comes back, Ruby?"

"I know- I just.. What about your place? Do you live alone?"

I bit my lip and it was enough for Ruby to pounce on it.

"Please, I know we just met, but my sister will be fine soon. She just needs a place to rest for the night, that kind of injury will be fine if I can take a look at it."

Looking down at the pale form of the woman, I wasn't so sure. The amount of blood on the ground already a cause for concern, not that rational medical knowledge applied here.

Even if I believed Ruby, the idea of taking them to my apartment was another debate in itself. Did I want to involve myself with a girl who could apparently turn into a monster or her sister, even if they saved me?

The nude blonde's shivering as she tucked herself into a ball and the tears that dotted Ruby's eyes sealed the deal.

Stooping down I placed my arms under the blonde's legs and armpits, lifting her upward and pressed into my chest. I sighed once before turning and making a speedy march toward my car.

"Ruby, you'll need to open my car when we get there."

Ruby's teary eyes nodded back. _Oum, my bleeding heart._

"And try not to get her blood all over my seats."

If someone had told me I would be carrying a naked supermodel who saved me from the claws of a giant monster by being a giant monster herself, towards my car so I could let her little sister and her sleep at my apartment… well… I would have cut him off for the night.

The fact that it was a one hundred percent true statement pulled a long sigh from my lungs.

I needed a drink.

* * *

 _I wanted to write these stories as close to my favorite book series as possible. Urban fantasy FTW! That means, I will post regularly until I reach the end of the first book. Followed by a break that will be as long as needed to make sure the next is just as good._

 _I will likely be posting updates on Thursday as normal, though I am debating interchanging Another Round with another story I came up with to ensure Mixed Martial Arc is still the priority._

 _I hope you enjoy my second story as much as the last._

 _Follow, Review, or Favorite if you liked the story, it makes me smile._

 _Until next time,_

 _Mkspotlights_


	2. Werewolf Wicked Ch: 2

_We're on! Please re-read ch.1 as there've been some major changes since the one shot._

 _Isin't the new art pretty!?_

 _Other than that check out the bottom Author's notes! On with the show._

* * *

 _Cover Art by: Crashman42_

 _Editing by: Freckles Fiction and Battle W0rn_

* * *

Werewolf Wicked

Chapter 2

I had to adjust my sleeping habits when I started working nights. Either I had to start sleeping in a room with no windows or I had to invest in black out blinds and those could get pricey. I remembered skipping meals to pay for them at the beginning, but it had to be done. Either scrape by for a few weeks or not be able to work in the first place.

So, why then, after spending hard earned money on blinds whose sole purpose is to block out the damned sun, were burning beams of light firing through my windows in an attempt to cook my retinas through my eyelids?

The question had to be answered, sleep impossible as it was.

With a healthy dose of disdain, I cracked my eyes open to see if the sun had burned a hole through my curtains.

Unfortunately, I made the sun's job easier as the rays immediately blinded me.

Groaning and cursing a few choice words, I rolled off my bed and stumbled to my feet. Rubbing away the motes of light that now filled my vision, I saw a horror no human nor faunus should ever have to endure.

The clock on my nightstand blinked a scarlet 6:00 am. I had only two hours of sleep. I felt like crying.

Looking toward the offending feature window, I was graced with all the majesty of Vale. Beater cars and broken windows filled the streets from my view, the first rays of sunlight only accenting the litter and filth. The only thing that could be considered scenic would have to be the canal that separated two apartment complexes.

The canal functioned as a drain for rainwater runoff that never truly emptied out, always being left with a small stream. Only with heavy rains did the canal fill with clean water. As it stood, the stream looked more dumpster than canal as muddy remnants and trash clogged the stone basin, turning the water a bubbling brown shade.

Clearly, I lived in prime real estate.

Shaking my head of the sleep deprived delusions I glanced toward the corners of the windows, right where the thick black curtains lay untouched, still wrapped around the metal hook to allow light access into my room.

I forgot to close the drapes before falling asleep.

In a moment of spite, I swiped both bundles of cloth and flung them from the hooks, bringing my room into darkness.

Too little, too late unfortunately, the rushed action and rude awakening signaled to the less understanding portion of my brain it was daytime and I should be up and doing things.

 _Doesn't my brain know I work when everyone else is asleep?_

Knowing sleep would be out of the question, I turned to begin the process of getting on with my day. Kicking past piles of clothes that really needed to be washed, I swiped a pair of jeans and a T-shirt off the mostly clean pile. Looking myself over I noticed a ketchup stain on the white fabric, cleaner than normal.

Satisfied with my appearance I left my room to make the first breakfast I have had in months. My mouth watered at the idea of eggs and bacon, mirrored closely by the growling of my stomach. Having not eaten after my shift I could smell it already.

Turning the doorknob, I was greeted with a sight that left my jaw hanging open.

A naked woman stood in the middle of my kitchen, humming to herself.

Well, mostly, one of my white shirts clung to her form, preventing her exposure, teasing everything underneath. Hot wouldn't do her credit, powerful felt closer. Each time she moved, the muscles in her legs flexed and tensed, showing the lean physique of an athlete and yet there wasn't a lack of softness.

Especially so as my shirt exposed glimpses of her creamy skin underneath. Her blonde hair, hung in a waterfall of gold, flashing the barest hints of the nape of her neck. She rummaged through my fridge, giving me a perfect sight of her perfectly round-

Shaking my head from going down that path, I refocused on a plate heaped full of eggs and the matching mountain of bacon sitting on my countertop. The amount of food could have fed me for days. More importantly, how was a very attractive woman, like a daydream straight out of my libido, cooking breakfast while wearing my shirt in my apartment? A large, red stain on the front of her shirt brought everything back into focus.

That definitely wasn't ketchup.

Growling. Running. The smell of rotten trash. Big, blue eyes and brown fur. A girl in scarlet. Yelling. Golden light.

As I tried to block it out, various tidbits of information came back in a flood. The memories of the night prior became clearer, reminding me just what insanity I had been up to, all circling around the very woman in front of me.

The fact she could turn into a monster out of the best horror movies didn't help either.

"Yo, morning Sunshine," said the blonde, staring at me as she set upon the plate of eggs.

"Morning?"

"Sorry I stained your shirt."

"Shouldn't you be more concerned about the hole in your stomach?"

The blonde stood, putting the already empty plate in the sink before lifting the bottom of the shirt, revealing no sign of the bleeding wound and the fact she very much lacked underwear.

"Cat got your tongue?"

"I… I wouldn't say a cat exactly."

"There's the wit Rubes talked about. Got any hot sauce?"

"Top shelf right corner."

"Eggs always taste better with spice."

The blonde turned her back as she began to rummage for the condiment, letting the conversation drop. Sizzling bacon and freshly cracked eggs on a hot pan were the only sounds filling my apartment, until she started the conversation again.

"Don't hold back. If you got a question, then go for it."

"I don't exactly have one right now."

"Don't lie. That's a big no-no, especially with people like me."

"You mean monsters?"

"Ouch, from circumventing to straight to the point." She used a wooden spoon to dump the undercooked food onto another plate. "I wouldn't call us monsters, though to others we can be."

"What would you call yourself then?"

She chuckled in between mouthfuls of food, enough to make me sick and full through proxy. The oozing, yellow yolks didn't help either.

"With all the things you've seen, I guess there's no point in hiding it," said the girl, finally holding my gaze with her own.

I stared back, not blinking as we watched one another.

The air changed. Like someone flipping a switch, a current ran through a wire connecting the two of us. It sparked as the force continued to grow, the walls in the already small room drew closer until it felt like I was suffocating.

"Your sister? She ran into me and then the beast started chasing us," I said, between clenched teeth; the energy of the room hissing and biting at my senses.

"So, I've been told," she responded, now giving me her full attention. Her food was left forgotten on the plate as her eyebrows furrowed.

The pressure in the room continued to grow, the need to pop my ears followed. I couldn't tell where it was coming from. I knew I should run and scurry away, but for some reason my body continued the conversation, "Why did she have a gun?"

"Protection."

"From?"

"You're playing a dangerous game."

"I don't understand."

A loud crack answered back. The top half of the spoon lay on the ground, the handle clenched in her fist.

The lizard part of my brain told me that I was in the room with something that wanted to rip out my throat and drink my blood, a predator. The rest of my increasingly hysteric conscious flashed a ball of yellow fur and very sharp teeth. I swallowed thickly, the lack of moisture made the gesture and corresponding lines sound like I was eating gravel. "... I'll have to charge you."

She answered this time with a growl that should have been impossible from human vocal cords. Her lavender eyes started to bleed into a crimson red as she stood from her seat, her features feral. A vein on her neck pulsed rapidly, mirroring my own rapidfire heartbeat.

My body locked still, fearing any movement might be the trigger. I couldn't look away, I'd be killed if I did. My instincts screamed at me the opposite, to roll over and pray for mercy. My brain surged through all these thoughts and more.

"You think you're tough, kid?"

Those last words opened the floodgates and I couldn't swim. The room closed in on me until it felt like I was wearing my couch as a jacket and the television as a hat. The force in the room reached a fever pitch, my legs wobbled as they turned to jelly. I answered the command honestly, "Not particularly."

"Stop!" shouted Ruby as she jumped between the two of us. A towel wrapped around her head, showing the tips of still damp locks. "No dominance contests with the person letting us stay in his apartment."

Those words were the needle that popped the seal. I dropped to my knees and released the breath I didn't know I held. Deep heaving breaths pulled oxygen into lungs that had been petrified just a moment earlier. The connection broke as an old sheathe held above Ruby's head blocked my line of sight, forcefully ended my staring contest. The atmosphere cleared as the smell of bacon and eggs returned to the room.

"He would have looked away first," said Yang, her voice a strained rumble.

"Yang, you should have better control than this. No establishing dominance contests."

The clinking of silverware and chewing answered Ruby.

Not really understanding what happened, but thankful for the air that returned back to the room, I asked, "Dominance contest?"

At the question, Ruby spun on the spot to face me with wide eyes. At least, that's what I imagined of her expression as the speed of her turn caused her towel turban to slap into my face with a wet smack.

"Don't worry about it, Yang's just in a bad mood since the other day," said Ruby, as I peeled the damp cloth from my face.

"Yeah, I can be real... Yangry when I'm hungry," said Yang, the same levity as before returning. Her eyes back to its purple hue as she stared at the food cooking in the pan a little too forcefully.

"She should also wear some clothes when in someone else's house!"

"I never got what the big deal is. It's just skin."

"It's called public decency."

"I wore a shirt."

"But no underwear!"

Ruby, ignoring Yang's lack of common sense turned toward me. "Sorry about that Jaune, she can be a real animal some times."

"A real animal. Ha. Haha," I said woodenly, rubbing a wobbly hand through my hair. "Was I about to get killed for looking someone in the eye?"

"Hey where'd you get this sword from?" asked Ruby, clearly changing topics.

I played off of Ruby's set up, happy for a different subject myself, and for a moment to process what just happened. "It was a graduation gift from my father. Crocea Mors, a weapon used by our ancestors in a war, a long time ago."

"Why is it stuck?"

I took the white sheathe from her hands, brushing past the bronze engravings toward the hilt of the sword. I steadied my shaking hands, gripped the blue handle, and pulled. A metal click sounded across the room, the blade didn't budge.

"It's always been stuck. Far back as I can remember. My father told me it's waiting for the right wielder," I said, while putting the sword down on my couch.

"That's pretty cool."

"More like it's a piece of junk that rusted shut."

"Well, it is a classic. I'd love to take a look at it someday."

I licked my lips, debating if I should broach the subject. "Maybe after you explain just what happened yesterday... and what almost happened in my kitchen?"

Ruby looked away. Every time I tried to hold her gaze, her silver eyes would dart and stare at another object in the room. Anywhere besides me or the subject, apparently.

"Ruby-"

"Do you know the stories people talk about around the campfire or the ones parents read to their kids at night?" interrupted Ruby, her words tumbling together in a rush.

"Ghost stories?"

"Yes, well not those exactly... sometimes, I guess? I was talking more about fairytales."

"You mean fairies, magic, the grim?"

Ruby nodded. "They're all real."

Maybe it was my frayed nerves, or the relief I felt, but I laughed. The type of chuckles that pulled from my gut and brought tears to my eyes. I bent over, clutching at my sides.

"J-Jaune, this isn't a joke. Stop laughing! "

"I would say you had enough to drink… that is, if you're old enough," I said, my mirth triggering one of my go-to quips.

Yang snorted, followed by the sizzling of the last of my eggs. So much for breakfast.

"You know, you're kind of eating my food for the rest of the month."

The blonde responded with a large, lopsided grin.

"Jaune, focus. You wanted answers so listen to me," said Ruby, her fingers dug into my shirt. Her stare locked on to mine, where I could see the pupils in her eyes dilating. "All those stories are real. Vampires, Fae, Ghosts, all of it."

"I think me being delusional is a better conclusion." _At least, it was the safer one._

"What about Faunus then? Besides their visual features they're pretty much human, right? They came out a long time ago and merged so well with humanity that everyone accepts them. Most of them don't even remember, but make no mistake, they're one of us. Other things in the Midnight World, can't do so as easily as them."

"...Werewolves?" I whispered, the freshly covered pit in my stomach clawed open.

"It would be hard for humanity to accept a race of people who increase their numbers by infecting others, even if the infected become superhuman and essentially immortal."

The burning in my shoulder suddenly became a lot more relevant. The cut in my shoulder from the creature, while not deep, burned like fire when I cleaned it out yesterday. What if I hadn't done a perfect job?

Ruby seemed to read my thoughts. "If you want to think of lycanthropy as a virus, your body fights it off pretty well. Most times you need to be next to dead for your body to succumb to it."

"I almost was."

"Another reason we stayed the night. We had to be sure you weren't turning. You're good, Jaune."

A slow, unsteady breath wheezed from my throat and the knot twisting my insides slowly unraveled.

"We try our best to live alongside humans and faunus. The younger wolves have less control, but the older ones keep them in line. We keep our own in check for everyone's safety."

"We…? Are you... infected?"

"I'm not a wolf, Jaune, but I've lived with them since I was little." Ruby snorted at my expression. "We don't live out in caves. We know what technology is. I grew up in a normal house, with my normal sister and my normal dad. We're just like you, except some of us turn hairy and eat a lot."

"And can bench a car," added Yang, receiving a glare from Ruby.

"So, is there a head monster for monsters? Like are Frankenstein, the Wolfman, and Dracula giving the orders for all the evil monsters to keep hidden?" I asked, trying to wrap my mind around the increasingly crazy situation, and still not entirely sure whether I should be believing it or not.

"We're not monsters and we're not evil!" said Ruby, her voice taking on a harsh edge. "Sure, we have some bad wolves, but that's everyone. We try our best to live peacefully alongside humanity."

I raised my hands, turning my palms toward Ruby. "Sorry, I misspoke."

The girl held her glare for a few moments before releasing a huff. "To answer your question, each faction, if you want to call it that, governs itself. Vampires don't bother us and we don't bother them."

"Factions? If there's that many different groups of monst- I mean, creatures, how are they all still hidden? Just the odds by themselves should mean they couldn't just stay undiscovered for this long."

"Have you ever gotten a chill down your spine when you're walking down a dark alley, like your brain is telling you to turn around and leave? What about artifacts in films and videos that blur out at just the right moment? We call it the Veil. We all have it. A _look away_ spell, an innate ability to stay hidden, a way to assume human forms. The factions that didn't got wiped out a long time ago."

"Then... how did I get involved?"

"I… I'm not sure, but some people slip through the cracks and get exposed to the real world."

"Why do you sound worried?"

Ruby looked away, biting on her lip, before answering me. "Those who do tend not to live very long after. It's easier to eliminate individuals than to invest in constantly watching that they don't speak about us. A lot of lives depend on the secret holding and we can't trust our entire species to one human."

The knot in my stomach came back with a vengeance and my appetite flew out the window.

Ruby once again noticed, granted it wasn't very hard with how I was backing away. "Jaune, we could have killed you while you slept."

Ruby's comment didn't help, in fact it reaffirmed how insane my decision was of letting random people I met stay the night.

"You call me the tactless one, Rubes."

Ruby's eyes softened as she placed a hand on my shoulder. "We could have, but we didn't. Yang and I don't believe in those kinds of things."

The knot loosened and I could breathe a bit easier.

"But that doesn't mean others think the same."

Yep, couldn't breathe again. "What do you mean by that?"

"Werewolves survive in packs. The alpha protects the pack and make the rules so everyone's safe."

"I don't understand."

"Yang and I aren't from the Vale pack. The Alpha here isn't known to be very merciful when it comes to secrecy - and he doesn't like us much right now."

The brown wolf from the night before came to mind. _Didn't Ruby say the werewolves worked together to live peacefully with humans?_ Last night's encounter definitely showed a less cooperative point of view to werewolf life.

A fish out of water hardly did my situation justice. I felt more like a fish thrown into the desert expected to fly.

I said the first thing that came to mind, "So, what do I do now? All of this is insane."

Yang answered, "You forget whatever happened and never mention it to anybody. Take it to the press, even anonymously, and someone will find out and then you get axed. Live your life and go back to being normal."

Ruby added, "The sooner we leave the safer you will be."

Could it be that simple? Both girls already looked geared to go. As Ruby and I were speaking Yang had brought out one packed duffle bag, everything they needed from what I could spare.

"Thanks for the breakfast and for giving us a place to recover," said Yang, right as the fire alarm went off.

While the knowledge my building had a fire alarm surprised me, I attributed my jump to being on edge. The amount of times my neighbors had smoked up their apartments gave me the impression that our building had long given up on safety codes. The blaring of the siren proved the guess wrong as the screech echoed throughout the complex.

"Finish the conversation downstairs?" I suggested.

"Wait a second. Yang?" said Ruby, looking toward her sister.

Yang lifted her nose and took a few deep breaths. "I don't smell a fire."

I spoke next, "It could be from a higher level? Doesn't need to be on this floor to set the alarm off."

Yang shook her head as she began rummaging through my drawers. "I would still be able to smell it."

"False alarm?" I asked, eyes widening when Yang withdrew my meat tenderizer and started to swing around its heft.

"A different kind of alarm," said Ruby, her face turning stony. "Jaune, you need to hide. Right now."

I didn't want to believe it. "What?"

"The local pack is coming to tie up loose ends."

The second time within the span of several minutes, I felt my breath catch in my throat. Ruby wanted me to hide, did that mean they planned on raiding my apartment? How did they even know where I lived? How many of those things constituted a pack? Would they send just a select few or all of them? What could I possibly do if a hoard of those things from the night before burst down my door?

I never thought I was very good at hide and seek, but as the situation finally clicked into place, I hoped the danger would improve my abilities. The fact I ran into my supply closet proved that fact very wrong. As I crammed my body next to the toilet paper and underneath my ironing board, I listened in to the conversation in the room. Through the barest sliver of space between the doors of the closet, I watched the sisters prepare, their jovial voices betrayed by the sweat rolling down their faces.

"How you doing, Rubes?"

The cocking of a gun answered back.

"Silver? Dammit."

"Time to change?"

"Not that healed yet. They'll be here before I could. Not worth it."

'"Block the door, same as usual?"

"It's the best plan we got."

"Be careful, Yang."

"I'm the one who can heal, sis."

"That just means they tear you apart longer than me."

The growing rush of blood in my ears smothered their voices. What was I even doing in my own supply closet? No way out. Nowhere to run. I rapidly ran through other options, perhaps I could escape through my window or hide under my bed.

 _I'm trapped_. I was trusting my life to one half naked girl, who was bleeding out a couple hours earlier, and her sister, who barely reached my chest. What could they possibly do against a group of people organized enough to have set off my fire alarm as a distraction?

Three hard rasps sounded through my door, denying me any chance of escape and silencing my body. The force carried enough to be heard even over the alarm. I prayed that they couldn't hear my ragged breath or the thump of my heart.

"Blondie! I know you're here!" yelled the rough voice of a man.

Yang responded, standing in front of the door, her right fist balled around the cooking implement, "And I know I told you to call me sir."

"Come with us peacefully. The alpha demands answers. You can't just mess up pack territory without punishment."

"Your guys shot first. Don't blame me, Junior."

"Then what's to fear? Come with us and we can clear your name."

"Like I believe that'll happen."

The conversation between the two continued, focusing on a disagreement between the two parties. More importantly, it seemed I was kept out of it.

"You will come with us or else the human gets it," said the man.

Me and my big mouth. I slapped a hand over it, trying to do anything to hamper the whimper that left my mouth uncontrollably. Tears pricked at the corner of my eyes. What could I even do?

"What are you talking about? What human?" said Yang.

"Don't play dumb, we can smell his fear from here."

They could smell my fear? What did that even mean? The situation rapidly took a turn for the worse, another wave of terror ran through my veins. Would they take me in and kill me? Ruby and Yang at least seemed to think so. Would I be ripped apart, eaten alive, or would they go for a more mundane method like a bullet to the skull?

Ruby answered, interrupting my panic, "Neutral ground. We will meet you at Beacon, under oath of the Good Witch to negotiate."

I had no idea what any of that meant, but the words held the faint thread of my survival. Neutral ground and negotiation meant the pack and Ruby would take the situation somewhere else right? The tension in the air, so thick I could cut it with a knife or a claw, vanished.

Apparently, the stranger knew what those words meant. "And why would we do that, little girl, when we could just tear this door down and take you all?"

"Because you already know my sister is more dominant than you and there would be casualties. I always pack silver."

"You're lying."

"You would be able to tell if I'm lying. So, agree to leave and we will meet you at Beacon, in two hours."

The silence between the pair made the beating of my heart all the more prevalent. How Ruby pulled off a bluff like that was beyond me. I thought werewolves could tell lies and Ruby said she didn't have silver. Regardless, I silently thanked the girl for defusing the situation.

The contradiction was left unanswered as the fire alarm shut off, followed by Ruby's voice, "The police will probably be here with the stunt you pulled. I doubt your alpha would be happy with trying to explain away a fight between Weres."

A thudding impact followed by the sound of crumbling plaster, echoed through the silence, before the man spoke, "Two hours. If you're not there, we sick the whole pack on you and the human. He can't hide from us."

The sound of my relief was the only thing I could hear for several minutes. I made it. I escaped being dragged off by a group of monsters to Oum knows where. I wasn't going to die, I'd live for another day.

However, what was I going to do now that the pack knew where I lived and how to find me? The thoughts running through my head and the likelihood of what I would have to do now only made it harder to get air into my lungs.

The closet opened with a crack as the worried face of Ruby came into view.

"I have to come with you, don't I?" I said.

Ruby sealed my fate, squashing any hope I could avoid the situation when she nodded. "We don't know if they'll leave you alone while we go to parley. It wouldn't be safe."

"Am I going to be safe following you?"

Ruby's expression dropped a notch further.

I sucked down the returning doom. "That's what I thought."

Ruby extended her hand and hauled me out of my cramped position, bringing me back into my room, the cold food and the very real threat on my life greeted me. Yang turned toward me, still keeping one eye on the shut entrance, a far too wolfish grin pulling itself on her face. I watched her spin my mallet in grey spirals, the threat of what it would have been used for, still floating in the air. Her following words made me want to hide under my covers and pretend this was a nightmare.

"Welcome to the Midnight World."

Fuck me.

* * *

 _Author's Note_

 _Poor, poor Jaune. Subjugated to be the protagonist to another one of my stories. T^T_

 _Here's the question I had for all of you. I have two stories on my profile currently, 'Mixed Martial Arc' and 'Another Round', which I intend to post every other week. However, would you all be okay with some stalls in 'Another Round' under this schedule?_

 _If so, then I will leave it to these two stories and will try to warn you all about any issues I have that affect posting._

 _If not, I have prepared 'The Beacon Daily'. This would mean the first Thursday of the month would be 'Another round' and the third would be the 'Beacon Daily'. This would mean only a monthly posting for these stories, but would guarantee that the stories update on time._

 _I don't want to let these new stories affect MMA and I can't afford to post more often. So what do you all think? Let me know in the reviews._

 _Please leave a follow, review or favorite if you liked my work, it makes me smile._

 _Until next time,_

 _Mkspotlights_


	3. Werewolf Wicked Ch: 3

_Whoa, just shy of a hundred follows in between chapters! Thanks a lot for the support you all! I appreciate it!_

 _Sorry about the name change, I meant to do it last chapter, but forgot._

 _Looking at the comments it looks like we will be going with posting this every other week alongside MMA._

* * *

Werewolf Wicked

Chapter 3

"We're here," said Ruby, her hands sweeping over the shop in front of us.

"Is this it?"

"It's neutral ground, no need to hesitate."

"A watch repair shop?" I asked, eyeing up the unimpressive structure. I suppose an abandoned warehouse or some restaurant under armed guard, would be too movie like. However, the demure brick and mortar shop didn't feel like a place to hold life or death negotiations.

Not a five minute walk from the high traffic areas of Vale's main commercial district, the building in front of us divided itself into a collection of niche stores. The light gray bricks extended down most of the side street. Walls barely reached a story tall, its intermittent glass panes indicated where a business ended and another began. The smell of leather, simmering food and machine oil wafted through open windows and doors. A small, wooden sign hanging from the eave's slats, reading 'Beacon' in gentle script, identified our destination.

Ruby, unperturbed by the ordinariness, crossed underneath the sign and entered through the frosted glass door before turning, "To everyone else, but to us it's the residence of the Wizard and the Good Witch."

"You keep mentioning those names."

"They're titles."

"Sure. I'm Jaune, but you can start calling me 'The Holy King of Vale'."

"Do you see me rolling my eyes? I'll do it again if you missed it. Titles are a big thing. If every other faction decides to call you by an honorific, imagine what that implies."

"See, those are the things that made me want to stay in the closet."

Yang interrupted, "I didn't know you swung that way, especially after your scent changed when you saw me earlier."

The fact I didn't sputter or get close to blushing was a sign. "Do you see _me_ rolling my eyes?"

"You asked."

"I'll ask again... Actually, let me rephrase that. Yang, could you please tell me why are we visiting people who have a 'title'?"

"Better," said Yang, her shoulders loosening by a notch, "It's the only place where we can talk without the risk of violence. Unless you'd like to negotiate for your life in a vampire's hive?"

Yang didn't look at my reaction. She could probably smell it. "We meet Junior and his goons here because the Good Witch will make sure they can't attack us, at least until we leave."

"Until we leave?"

"Nothing stops Junior from arranging a backup plan if talks don't work in his favor. He's the type who would."

"You never know, he might be feeling relaxed," I said, imagining being run over by an unmarked car.

"There is no relaxation, he is a second. He will focus on protecting and planning. Letting decisions be decided by arbitration isn't going to bode well with him."

"How do you know that?"

"It doesn't for me."

Ruby placing a hand on her sister sent a visible ripple of relaxation as the smaller girl picked up the conversation. "Dominant wolves protect the pack. They keep others safe, but that also means they're a little obsessive."

 _What were non dominant wolves like?_ "You said they're aggressive."

"That too, but for a reason."

"Murder and death?"

"They're control freaks."

"This doesn't seem like a good idea, this place is located a block from main street. If these people are so important shouldn't they own a mansion?"

"Sometimes the best hiding places aren't hidden, just boring to look at," said Yang as she brushed past me toward the building. "Let's go inside, Blondie. You'll see."

"I'd like to point out that you are also blonde."

"I make it work."

A chill wind snatched my retort before it could leave my lips, replacing it with a hiss as I shoved my hands into the pockets of my hoodie. Far from what I considered negotiating attire, but Ruby's sleeveless jacket, military cargo pants and black boots or her sister's tank top and jeans, meant I fit right in. The other group of werewolves could and would bite me, I might as well make sure I wasn't about to freeze. If I died, I'd at least be nice and comfy.

The idea of a werewolf eating me after peeling off my jacket like one of those microwavable pizza pockets made me laugh. I sounded like a recording than a live human being. It turned out mind encompassing terror became mind numbing after a while. Without an immediate threat looming overhead, it dulled and faded away, leaving me with anxiety. Humor helped ease the tension. If not, I'd be a whimpering lump on the ground and might as well have let the Weres take me right there and then. I just hoped I could keep laughing when I saw Junior in person.

Bringing me back to our current predicament, I found myself wishing for the meeting to be held in the neighboring curio shop, as cliche as that would be. If so, I would be in the right mindset to meet with mythical creatures. Instead of mystical wonder, I debated if the store was a front or if werewolves were extremely punctual creatures. I put money on the latter.

"Come on, Jaune. Quit stalling," said Ruby, her head peeking out of the entrance. I doubted the shop could fit us, let alone a hostile group of werewolves.

"I'm not stalling… I'm thinking." _Where did my ordinary life go?_

"Hate to break it to you, but there's not much to think about. We just have to go in and hope they want to listen to the truth in Yang's words."

Ruby's words matched our planning session from earlier. As a result of having heightened senses, strong enough to detect the subtle changes in heartbeat, the negotiations came down to telling the truth and hoping the local pack didn't want violence. When I asked Ruby how she lied regarding the silver earlier she laughed, "It wasn't a lie. I always pack silver when I travel. I just didn't have my gun loaded."

I mentally added an addendum to the rule 'werewolves can tell lies', by including 'but not half truths', located under 'don't make any promises, literally or jokingly' and above 'don't stare a werewolf in the eye'. They were a few of the rapidly growing rules that could save my life and they were just the section titled 'Werewolves'. When she explained that each faction had very specific, life saving rules to survive by… well, wasn't that another warm welcome for an anxiety attack. On the ride over Ruby walked me through the basics.

For Beacon, all I needed to know was to not promise anything, not to lose any body parts, and that magic was real. _Magic, wasn't that a crazy thing to drop?_ Ruby explained the gist, but all I heard were the stories my father would read to me before bed. I loved reading about magic; I majored in it, literature not magic, fat load of help that was. Stories of knights with magic swords, demons, and fairies were some of my favorites. Finding out they existed didn't sit as well as I would have once thought. Most stories never ended well for the human, especially when one willingly walked into their home.

The bombshells of information went over as great as my already taxed brain could handle. I did what any stressed out member of the service industry was trained to do, I pushed it into the background for later.

Ruby was right, I was stalling.

Resigning myself to what was in store, I pulled open the door and stepped inside the building. An attached bell signalled my entrance to everyone. Ruby closed the door behind me, a soft click echoed in the silence as I took in my surroundings.

Quaint, would be the first word that came to mind. Beige paint covered most of the walls, the occasional wall mounted clock being the only pop of color, replacing soft tan for rich chocolate brown wood. The main thoroughfare supported several glass fixtures, spaced evenly enough for there to be a narrow walkway, which allowed customers to peruse the wares on display. Each display had several tiers, holding various antique clocks matching those on the wall, ticking in synchrony.

The bong of a grandfather clock filled the room, signalling the designated hour to meet Junior and yet he was nowhere to be seen.

I chalked it up to nervousness when I asked the obvious question, "Where's the other group?"

The hundreds of ticking clocks tocked back.

I realized, no other sounds had been made since I entered the room. I turned my attention toward Yang, who stood ramrod straight, staring at a corner.

I stepped to the side of Yang to get a better view of what held her attention, only to see the most bored person in the world.

At least that was the image exuded from the lethargic teenager. Everything from the messy, blonde ponytail to the half lidded eyes and slouched posture, expressed someone who wished to be anything, but the clerk of a small shop.

My question and subsequent movement alerted the girl. One lazy eye drifted toward me, before the other, followed shortly by her head, then the entirety of her body. The clerk's splayed limbs pulled themselves together, dragging across the clear countertop, until they coalesced at her sides and she stood straight. The biggest salesperson smile I had ever seen appeared. "Welcome to Beacon, pleasure to meet you."

"Pleasure's all mine. My name's Jaune." The words left my mouth before I could think, the response a habit from meeting dozens of people every night.

"Joan," grinned the girl as she extended a hand in greeting, locking my eyes with her matching azures. Funnily enough I had thought they were green at first glance.

Yang's hand latched onto mine, causing me to blink dumbly at my extended appendage, inches from shaking Joan's hand. I had moved on instinct.

"Hands off," growled Yang. "We're here to see the Wizard."

Joan pouted, instead of being shocked at the sound that no human could create. Her perfectly plump lips stuck out, rivaling the pout of my sisters, before she whined, "Everyone is here to see him, boring."

"Is your last name Arc?" I asked.

"Nope, but I'm wishing it was. If everyone in your family is oh so interesting, at least," said Joan, locking eyes with me. I could still feel her gaze when Ruby stepped between the two of us.

"Nice to meet you, Joan," said Ruby.

Joan blinked, before looking down at Ruby. "Hello, Ruby. You have silver eyes."

"So do you," said Ruby, ignoring the offered hand in favor of locking matching silver eyes with those of the clerk.

"You don't have to be afraid of shaking my hand. I'm not going to steal a fingernail."

"Just playing it safe," said Yang, moving to stand side by side with her sister.

"I'm no witch."

"You're just owned by one."

"Your group is much more interesting than the last one," laughed Joan, the sound rumbling in her throat.

"Junior's here?"

"Mhmm, they came right on time. You guys are late."

"We're exactly on time."

"I don't think so," smiled Joan as she gestured to the hundreds of clocks around the room. "I have quite a bit of references."

Glancing at any of the fixtures showed 8:30, we were thirty minutes late. Impossible. I blinked several times at the clocks on the wall. How long had we been talking?

I looked back at the clerk, who seemed far too happy that our group had arrived late. Blinking several more times, not only made her smirk at my gobsmacked expression, but also framed Joan in a stuttering stop motion view. After the second blink, I saw a pair of round horns, on the third blink it was gone.

I blinked faster, Yang growled, and Ruby spoke, "Yang, you know better than to dominate an Imp."

"I prefer the term familiar," sniffed Joan, "and the whole staring contest thing works on us. Scary for sure, but not if you know the trick."

"It's a werewolf tactic, to establish who's more dominant without having to resort to violence. There's no trick. You're either more dominant or you're not."

"Sure you should be talking about all these things?

"Jaune's already experienced one and I'm not wrong."

"I don't know what you believe, but just find something scarier."

"You can stop playing games now, Joan."

We all turned to stare at the man, who appeared in the room without making a sound. How any of us missed a man in a full suit was a mystery. Add in the white hair with perfectly unblemished skin and I saw a man who drew attention instead of deflect them. He would definitely not be sitting alone for long, in my bar. Ruby's hand slipped to her hip, Yang's gaze sharpened and I gaped. Joan's statement only made the man's identity clearer.

"Yes, master."

"Master?" I asked, acknowledging the entrance of the person who was the sole reason I wasn't being dragged off to wherever Werewolves 'settled' business, a contributor of my safety. I couldn't imagine how. His body wasn't rigid with muscles, he was thinner than myself and dressed in a suit that looked good when standing or shaking hands, but allowed for little of any other movement. He hardly looked combat ready, yet he exuded ease like I did worry.

"Headmaster, boss, any name works, though I prefer Ozpin," said the man, smiling softly as he adjusted the wire rimmed glasses higher on his nose.

"The Wizard," said Ruby, quickly dropping into a bow.

"Really, Ozpin is fine."

"I wouldn't want to offend."

"No offense would be taken if you called me by the name I requested you call me by," said the man, managing to turn a huff into a regal gesture. "Really, I offer the city of Vale a place to have civil conversation and suddenly people start calling me by fancy names."

"The fact you can enforce the civility may do it."

"That is hardly due to my ability, Miss Rose."

"I didn't introduce myself."

"Hmm, I must have heard you introduce yourself to Joan when I was coming to greet you. Now, come along, you are right on time."

"I thought we were late?" I asked, pointing to the nearest clock, before starting another round of blinking.

The clock read 8:00, swiveling my head around the room proved the very same.

Joan stuck her tongue at me.

Ozpin, unaware or uncaring of me slowly losing my mind said, "I'd prefer you all to come 10 minutes early, but on time is fine." He tapped the silver cap of a cane, which he held in his right hand, against a door on the far side of the room. "Please, come along. I do not think your other party will like to be alone with Glynda for long."

"Don't think about it. Just go," said Ruby.

"I-but…" I stuttered, looking back toward Joan. Her horns returned and blinking didn't make them vanish, until the teenager curled into a ball from laughter, revealing another clock with a pair of ram horns attached to its base.

"Damn spirits," grumbled Yang as she took up the rear and ushered the group to follow Ozpin through the door and into a long hallway, which sprawled for at least a hundred feet.

"Joan is quite helpful, Miss Xiao Long," said Ozpin.

"I know for sure I didn't introduce myself."

"How rude of you, you should do so when meeting new people."

"Are you always this evasive or are you going for the eccentric magician image?"

"Yes."

The click of the door behind us timed perfectly with Yang's growl, as the put out voice of Joan voiced back, "I prefer the term familiar."

"Joan, you are not my familiar. You are free to relax."

A deep sigh rumbled behind me. A voice, lacking the squeak of puberty from earlier, answered, "Alright, Oz."

Out of the corner of my eye, I turned back at Joan, who marched with her hands tucked into the pockets of her jeans and whistled a tune several octaves off. The image of a young teen was gone and in her place was a person older than myself. She looked everything like the hundreds of regulars I served, someone who would enjoy a gin and tonic, yet the group called her a spirit or an imp. Whatever either of those terms meant, I wondered why Yang and Ruby hadn't warned me about them. Something happened in the shop. I wasn't going crazy, at least not yet...

Yang bristled as the clerk drew closer to her back.

"What are you?" I asked. _Why am I speaking without thinking?_

"While we all used varied terms, the best answer would be Miss Rose's," replied Ozpin, answering for Joan as he opened another door leading to a set of stone steps.

"An Imp."

"Yes, an imp. Miss Xiao Long named her to be a spirit, that would be the same as saying you are a person."

"What's the point of using her to intimidate visitors?" asked Yang.

"Mischievous and loving of pranks, she may be. We _hire_ Joan because she is quite capable in keeping unwanted guests out."

"Keeping people on the back foot is just a bonus? It's not a command?"

"We do not command her. We employ her."

"You mean you Imp-loy her?"

Ozpin paused at the foot of the stairs, quivering. Several seconds passed, where only the sounds of the man drinking from a mug echoed through the hallway. After a shaky breath, the man spoke, "Please, never do that again."

"If that lifts your spirit."

"Miss Xiao Long."

A peek behind showed Yang's gait relaxing, even with Joan to her back. I'm familiar with puns, but out of all the ways to relax why did she go with the worst type of humor? Oh, Oum. Yang was contagious. I spoke before Yang's disease spread further, "Please, define what a spirit is."

Ozpin coughed once, before picking the left path of the fork in the road. He let us continue our previous pace. "A spirit, is a being that does not belong to this world. Mr. Arc, I must bring any further questions to a close."

"Why's that?"

"Because if you are to die today, what would be the point?"

I froze mid step, before a soft push from behind forced me forward. I jumped from the contact, looking over my shoulder to see Yang's head dismissal of the statement as she urged me to continue. Mechanically I put one foot in front of the other, letting Ozpin's words settle for a few minutes. "That's pretty drastic… don't you think?

"Of all the things you saw and have just seen, I wouldn't have thought it would be too far out there."

"I rather enjoy being alive."

"I do not wish for your death any more than your friends here. However, I imagine your continual existence will be on the negotiating table."

"My life is a bargaining chip?"

"The more you know, the more people need your silence," said Ozpin, implying just how the silence would be achieved. "We all have secrets that must be kept, Mr. Arc."

"L-Like the underground bunker you have here? Is this where you hide bodies? Is this part of intimidating new visitors of Beacon?"

"I have no idea what you mean."

I almost wished I was infected by a werewolf, I would be able to call him out on his lies. Then again insulting the man keeping me alive would be to my detriment. Regardless, the amount of distance we walked was impossible compared to the area above. I didn't notice at first, but our group had travelled far enough where we should have popped out on the other side of the building, smack in the middle of a fast food chain. I didn't smell any french fries, either we had gone clear underneath the neighboring businesses or there were more things I'd have to ask Ruby later on.

Ignorance was bliss. I would take all the double shifts Marcus could throw at me to have the last twenty four hours of my life never happen. Every step drew the walls closer toward me, the faint illumination of the lights amplified my paranoia as I started to see shadows dancing in the corners of my vision. The thought of the shapes actually moving made my delusions worse.

Perceived threats aside, I had a very real Werewolf at my back and a gun wielding girl in front. Surreal wouldn't cut it and Ozpin's attempt at keeping me off balance hardly helped. I was stuck in the thick of it. No one else seemed surprised about the insanity in the shop confirming it was just a taste of what was to come. I had to make a choice.

Ruby, Yang, and Ozpin seemed content to have me along for the ride with minimal exposure to any and all things abnormal. I understood that every fact I learned of the Midnight World, put me further at risk, but leaving things as it were meant I was heading into situations blind. The crunching of gravel matched our procession covering up my hammering heart, at least to my hearing.

My situation sucked. Damned if I do and damned if I don't. If I asked for more information, I could find myself in a position of knowing too much. If I asked too little, I risked making a dire mistake, where the price would be my head. A quote from my dad sealed the deal. Afterall, I was always too curious for my own good and strangers were just friends I haven't met yet, right? I chose not to look too deeply into the validity of that statement.

 _If I'm walking on thin ice, I might as well dance_. "I take it that also applies to what happened before you showed up?"

Ozpin merely smiled.

"How about good witch? I don't want to put my foot in my mouth, if at all possible."

"She helps us keep our area clear and is quite the help with administrative tasks."

 _A completely vague and useless answer._

"She's _the_ Good Witch, Jaune," whispered Ruby.

"I got that."

"You don't want to anger a named witch."

Unperturbed by our side conversation, Ozpin continued, "Come now, even Glynda would prefer you just call her by name."

"I've heard stories."

Before Ozpin could retort, Yang asked, "Why does her familiar find my sister so interesting?"

Ozpin let the question hang for several moments as he paused in front of a silver, embroidered door. "I'm sure she was just playing one of her pranks."

"Ruby is under my protection and Jaune is under hers." Yang's voice drifted into a rumble. "They're mine."

"I am not interested in taking anything you have staked a claim on, Miss Xiao Long, though might I remind you that your group came to me."

"I do not need help protecting what is mine."

"Yet, you need our services."

"We _needed_ a neutral place to talk pack politics, but you already knew that."

Ozpin didn't disagree. He opened the door and offered another question, "What could the daughters of Patch's Alpha have done to disrupt the local group of werewolves?"

"She attacked pack headquarters!" yelled a voice that sent a wave of panic through my body.

Yang took the accusation in stride, sighing before stepping past the group. She looked ahead, ignoring my expression and Ruby's hand on her shoulder to stand in the doorway, head held high.

"Hello, Junior."

* * *

Author's Note

 _Information drop coming soon~_

 _So we learned more about how Werewolves work, more about the other factions and a throwback to an OC from MMA. Seems like the makings of a good chapter._

 _Let me know what you think and any big theories you have cooking for what's going to happen._

 _Please leave a review, follow or favorite if you liked this chapter, it makes me smile._

 _Until next time,_

 _Mkspotlights_


	4. Werewolf Wicked Ch: 4

_Cover Art by: Crashman 42_

 _Beta Reading by: Freckles Fiction_

* * *

Werewolf Wicked

Chapter 4

"That girl attacked our territory and she wounded several members of the pack."

The first thing that crossed my mind was the voice matched the man on the other side of my apartment door. I didn't know what I imagined of him, but I didn't expect what I saw. Junior looked like me, if I skipped over the muscles, the facial hair, and the red faced rage that made me want to find the nearest restroom.

Maybe, he wasn't so like me, but rather he dressed like me.

He was a bartender, at least when he wasn't a secret werewolf. His uniform and body language gave it away. Dressed in a white button up, pressed slacks, and a matching black vest; he looked like me, except for a red tie in place of my blue. However, his hands sealed the deal. Each digit was swollen from years of fine movement with thick calluses on his thumb and index finger. Junior wasn't the type to use a bottle opener nor was he the type to quail under the labor of the job.

"Mr. Xiong, please have a seat. We haven't even begun the talks yet," replied Ozpin as I realized I was stopped in the middle of the room staring.

Turning to hem and haw at the surroundings I followed Ruby and Yang toward the opposite side of the table, while considering how I could use the decor as makeshift weapons.

The decorators fully embraced the time aesthetic. Various gears clicked in synchrony overhead as the corresponding hands of a clock ticked across the entire right side of the wall. A circular table sat in the middle of the room. Machined metal and glass composed its surface with massive clockwork legs bolted into the ground, providing the table's support. Each chair, made up of segmented parts and cold looking comforters with metals sticking out at random intervals, added to the look. They looked barely sitable.

Forget about back pain, I kept an eye on the man who tried to kill me.

I wondered if all Werewolves were in prime, physical shape or was it just Junior and Yang? Did they get it from working out or a result of their affliction? I didn't have the sample size for that, but I had enough time to understand Junior.

One of the perks of working in a customer service field is learning how to read others. Being able to gain information in a split second helped as a social lubricant. I just had to figure out the customers' interests, what buttons not to press and they leave happy. The larger tips weren't anything to sneeze about either. It's pretty obvious, but I got particularly good at the skill. I even humored joining the police force as an interviewer.

I established his baseline as aggressive with a hairline temper, a no nonsense type of guy; rather evident, but any further reads would have to come from listening to him speak. I humored the thought he was just as likely to be getting a read on me, or he would be if he wasn't about to have an aneurism, glaring at Yang.

"Now the girlie is blaming my boys for starting it! We should have ripped her apart right there, she should be thankful the Alpha wants her."

"Hei, I will say this for the last time. You are within our domain. You will cease any threats, before you break hospitality."

Junior paled and I turned toward the voice coming from the middle of the room. A woman stood next to Ozpin. I could have sworn she wasn't there when I first walked in. There were no other doors in the room besides the one behind my back.

Junior raised a finger. "We haven't started yet."

The newcomer, looking to be on the beginning end of middle age, glared past the thin glasses resting on her nose, down at the man, who looked to be turning white. The older woman, a beauty in all rights, would normally attract all eyes to her face. However, the item that sat on the top of her head got my attention. A black leather hat, with a crown that reached upward to fold back, leaving a few inches of the tip to trail behind the woman.

The stereotypical hat of a witch. I filled in the blanks of the identity of this woman. Add in the cape draped across her shoulders and the wand curled in her right fist and … wait...

"Is that a riding crop?"

I had a moment to curse my vocalized thoughts. The person, who Ruby and Yang both warned about, turned toward me, sharp as a knife. The hallway must have been darker than I overhead lights left a distorted impression burned on my corneas, a purple hue wobbled behind the woman. I felt intimidated, her attention brought with it a weight on my shoulders. I was serving for the first time as dozens of people watched me bumble around the bar.

The Good Witch sniffed, dispelling my question and the burn in my eyes, before turning back toward the round table. She extended her hand, her long fingers marked the middle of the table, the border between both parties. "Quite right, Hei, let's begin. By my name, Glynda Goodwitch, so long as you remain in this room, both parties will be treated as guests. All shall be afforded the rights that come with guesting laws. By my word, no harm shall come to you and yours while guests of Beacon."

Both Yang and Junior followed immediately.

"I, Hei Xiong, under the order of Vale's Alpha, swear as his second that no harm will be done by me or mine for as long as we are guests. We will treat with the accused."

"I, Yang Xiao Long, daughter of Taiyang Xiao Long, Patch's Alpha, swear that no harm will be done by me or mine so long as Junior does not start shit. We speak to prove innocence."

The words, dated to the time of my grandparents, sounded like something out of a spell book. I expected the incantation to envelope the room with supernatural force, forged through a solemn promise as arcane power electrified the air. The words fell flat and empty, each party in the room standing in the quiet aftermath. I was left wanting, especially when Ruby coughed into her fist and stomped on her sister's foot, killing the mood.

"Rephrasing, no harm shall be wrought by me or mine, so long as we are guests at Beacon."

"Better. I hereby open negotiations, though the parties present do not require my aid, no falsehoods will be told until we adjourn," said the woman, treating the words as if there was a spell attached to it. "We are here to discuss what occurred at Vale's pack headquarters a night ago. Hei, since you were the first to arrive, kindly explain what occurred."

"I was working the bar, same as every other night, when the blonde comes in draggin' one of my boys behind her. She orders a Strawberry Sunrise as if I couldn't see my boy unconscious. Right there we should have just ended it, I knew she was going to be a problem.

"Shouldn't have a submissive try and stop a dominant wolf, not like your two girls did much-"

"Yang, I will announce when it is your turn to speak," warned the Good Witch, brandishing her 'wand'. "Please continue, Hei."

"Junior, is better," said the man. His voice slowly increased in volume as his story continued. "Anyway, we have a submissive working the door, no man's gonna out muscle him and he's the calmest wolf we got. Goldilocks shoves my doors open, dragging the submissive behind her, out cold, so the pack's already riling for blood. A solo, unmated female, walks right up to me, doesn't follow pack hierarchy, doesn't offer compensation and demands information."

Junior paused, taking a deep breath before continuing, "What were we supposed to do? That's a pack war if we ever saw one. Not to mention I was already having a piss-poor night. What sealed the deal was when she grabbed me and pulled a silver knife."

"I never-" Yang couldn't finish her words, a tight grimace overtaking her face as her lips smashed together. The whites of her eyes grew wide as her pupils tightened into pin pricks. Her arms flexed but remained glued to her sides.

There was magic this time.

Motes of purple wafted off of Yang's midsection, her every movement sent a spark of purple light that illuminated a binding of violet. Yang struggled, spouting arcs of light like a welder's tool, yet the purple bindings held. Only when she stilled did the light vanish. The strongest of my group pacified in an instant.

My jaw clicked shut, lips locked, and I threw away the key. The display only reinforced my opinion of Beacon.

"Excuse the interruption, Hei," said the Good Witch, her eyes glowing.

Junior didn't bother to correct her on the use of his name. "Uh… Sure, so she goes to stab me in the throat. That's when my boy, Boris, shoots her. Thank Oum he did or I'd have been dead. After being shot, she wounded a couple of our pack and bolts. We called a hunt soon after and followed her scent."

"What are your requests?"

"Reparations for repairs, injury, and breach of pack etiquette. Submittance to the pack and upholding of tradition. How Patch's Alpha let a female go in the first place is beyond me, but our Alpha will take her in. Last, the human dies."

My heart stuttered, stopped and needed a solid smack in my chest before it restarted. A glance at Ruby didn't help me regain my composure. Her brows furrowed and a small frown pulled on her lips. Turning, I sent a pleading look to Ozpin and the Good Witch, surely they would help.

They didn't react. Both mediators nodded their heads at Junior's statement as if he just told them the sky was blue.

I knew beforehand I would be negotiating for my life. However, Junior spoke of my death as an afterthought. The idea he would throw away a life so casually made me consider removing one of the clock arms and using it as a spear should things take a turn for the worse. I wasn't liking my chances.

Glynda motioned for Junior to take a seat for the first time since we'd been in the room. She looked toward us, not a hair out of place. "It is your turn to speak. What are your perceptions of what occurred?"

This time I intentionally spoke. Glynda's callous reactions were absurd. "Did you hear him correctly? He just talked about Yang as if she were property. To _submit_ to him."

"Yes, that is what he said."

"You don't think that's wrong?"

"He did not mispeak, nor is his statement abnormal."

"What about his disregard for my well being?"

"Mr. Arc, Hei is negotiating on behalf of your opposing party."

"That's not the point!"

Ruby stepped up, placed a hand on my shoulder, and guided me back into the seat with a shake of her head. "We left Patch, with the Alpha's blessing."

"I will warn once, about falsehoods," said Glynda.

"Not a lie, though perhaps not the full truth. Allow me to explain and excuse the mischoice of words," said Ruby, a slight tint of pink dusting her cheeks. "The Alpha allowed a trip out of pack territories, but he did not specify how long until we are to return. We made a detour."

"Truth."

"Following that we arrived at Beacon, to do some sight seeing and go for a mini vacation. Yang was to speak with the Vale pack and I settled in at our motel, until I felt her pain through the bonds."

My eyes widened and locked on to Ruby, her information all new and filled with terms I had no idea about, but at her last statement the rest of the table shifted. If I wasn't already wary of someone jumping out to snatch me, I wouldn't have noticed it.

Junior's shoulders tightened, his eyes flicking over to the Good Witch, whose brows furrowed a millimeter tighter.

"It is a truth as I am sure you all can tell," said Ruby. "I followed the bonds until I ran into one of Vale's pack, who attacked me on sight. This is where I met Jaune and we asked him for a place to recover. In hindsight it wasn't the best option, but our motel was no longer viable. I didn't know how far Yang got with negotiations before things went sour and I was panicking. Jaune's place was the best I could come up with. For the rest of the details, I will allow him to speak for himself."

Sirens flared in my head. Ruby caught me off guard. How did she expect me to not cram both feet and a hand down my mouth? Hasn't she seen any of my past attempts? My eyes quickly sought hers and I found them filled with gentleness and encouragement.

"Go ahead, Jaune."

I looked left and right, but I had burned my entire life's worth of luck in the past day. Every person in the room looked right at me. Junior glared, Ozpin laced his hands together and the Good Witch tapped her fingers across her arm, waiting.

Swallowing the lump in my throat I began speaking. I didn't know where to start, so I began from the bar meeting with Blake. She helped, my words coming easier as my mind shifted from Jaune, the scared idiot to Jaune, the bartender. My mask slipped on, there were no monsters, but a table of patrons. I spoke of werewolves in alleys and crashing cars as if telling a story over the counter of my bar. I gestured when needed and paused on the required beats. The story flowed to Yang's appearance and her collapse. When I reached the end I just hoped I hadn't sold my soul.

A peek out of the corner of my eye showed Ruby nodding and Yang staring intently. Come to think of it, I never told her the full story. A clap from the middle of the room drew everyone's attention.

Ozpin, throwing a glance to the Good Witch, said, "What a wonderful story. Why don't we take a quick intermission? Joan, if you could."

A glass was placed in front of me. For once, I controlled my fat mouth and ignored the impulse to ask why we were pausing. I focused on my drink, the thunk as it settled on the table revealed its identity before I ever laid eyes on it. A rocks glass, filled to the brim with an amber liquid.

"Shouldn't you be serving coffee?" It was still the morning.

"Maybe in another life," said Joan, throwing me a coy smile.

Each person received their drink. Yang sniffed once before wrinkling her nose and throwing back the contents in one move. She snatched and did the same to Ruby's drink, much to the smaller girl's indignity. Glynda and Ozpin slowly sipped at the amber liquid and Junior looked ill. I knew the feeling.

Being around drinks for half the day of every day murdered the magic of liquor. Watching people vomit out of their nose and mouth didn't help either. I didn't drink, most bartenders I knew didn't either.

When Junior drank his shot, I had no other choice. I reached out holding the glass in my hand and used my arm to let the liquid swim. Whiskey, single malt, smoke and peat moss. The flavors almost masked the smell of drain cleaner. I squeezed, letting the heat of my blood warm the glass and ease the bite before I brought the shot to my lips. A sip filled my mouth with fire, wood, and dirt. Swallowing kicked me in the gut as the liquid burnt its way down. I released a breath of heated air, savoring the flavors for a second time. It tasted awful.

"That was delicious," I said, nodding towards Ozpin, pushing my mostly full drink farther from me.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, Mr. Arc," said Ozpin, a smirk on his lips, before he gestured toward Yang. "Why don't you finish your side of the story?"

"Here's how everything actually went," said Yang, standing from her seat. "I knew the Vale pack was good at gathering information, I knew they would sell it to people too. So on our way back we made a pitstop in Vale. I brought the cash, but didn't announce our presence since it was an in and out kind of thing. The guy in the front tried to stop me, so I showed him my wolf and he passed out. Couldn't handle it I guess, but what could you expect from a submissive trying to stop a dominant. I didn't want to leave the guy out there so I dragged him in with me. That's when every wolf in the building turns toward me, some of them already grabbing at guns."

Junior growled, but after one look from the Good Witch, he bit his tongue.

"I asked Junior if he knew any information about someone, but he didn't want to give me the information. The person doesn't matter for this meeting so don't ask. What's important is that he refused on the grounds that I am a solo female. That's when I figured I needed to assert some dominance. I didn't want to challenge him in front of his pack, so I just pushed the pressure a bit. When I pulled him closer to ask my question again, everyone lost their cool. I didn't attack him, but I did get shot." Yang shook her head with a snort. "That's when the fight broke out. So the whole reparations schtick doesn't work if the damage happened after they attacked first. I had to leave before someone ended up dead. They should be thankful I didn't end that brown wolf for going after Ruby."

The Good Witch mirrored her prior statement. "What are your requests?"

"First, I want an answer to my question. Second, we are running solo, we will decide if or when we return to Patch. Junior and his pack should shut up and leave us alone. It's none of their business." A stomp echoed from under the table. "And the Human lives."

It was the first time I heard Yang's part of the story. I silently thanked any and all my lucky stars I ran into Ruby first. She has been the only person actively caring if I lived or died, and I appreciated that. I turned toward Ruby to give her a nod, a thumbs up, or just a smile, but her expression froze me. Her eyebrows were knit together as she glanced from Junior to Yang and back.

This was not a good sign.

Junior and Yang were in a similar state as they stared at each other, Junior at Yang's chin and her at his forehead.

This was a worse sign.

Ruby, chewing on her lip, raised her hand and yelled, "Half truths!"

"Yang Xiao Long, daughter of Patch's Alpha, pulled a silver knife and tried to stab me in the throat," answered Junior.

Yang replied, "I don't own a silver knife."

Ruby shrunk in on herself.

The situation started to sound more deadly by the second. Yang and Junior began playing a game of put the blame on the other. Their arguments became more infantile after each sentence. Each exchange of words caused my body to tense and brows to furrow. A whimper bubbled on my lips as my chance of getting out of this situation evaporated. If no one could be proven correct right now, would it devolve into a pack war, whatever that was? Would Yang and Junior fight it out in a duel of honor? Neither option sounded good. I racked my brain for any thing that could help me. I thought of all the crime novels I read, but an old bar fight gave me the answer.

One shift, one drunk guy, and one bad conversation lead to violence. I made it out fine, though we had to scrap a couple of glasses. The cops came and carried off the drunks without much more fuss. The request from the officer that night left my lips. "Film!"

All eyes turned toward me. Yang and Junior caught their words as I raised my voice, picking up steam.

"Film, recording, something to show what exactly happened." Pointing to Junior I continued, "You work at a bar, there are thefts, fights, you must have cameras posted."

Junior snorted, ignored me and asked Yang, "Before we settle our dispute, when do we get rid of the human?"

"You don't," said Yang. "He's with us. How many times do I have to say it?"

"I realize you may want him as a bargaining piece, but I'll be frank. He's just a human."

"Junior, I must say Jaune makes a good point. We can settle everything if you can show us the film," said Ozpin as I debated how much they valued my life.

Junior scratched his cheek.

I couldn't stop my words this time, "You can't be serious."

Junior eyed me, before sighing, "We have it."

I released the breath I was holding. "Great, so bring out the recording. If we all see it, we should have proof."

Junior looked away.

"You can't be serious..."

"I haven't used it since we acquired the building, of course I didn't bring anything!"

"What?! How-"

"We manage our own. Humans are plentiful, but they're easy to throw out and other things don't show well on camera. We never needed it."

"But there was no other stuff, right? We just need to see what happened."

"Human-"

"Going around in circles isn't helping anyone."

Junior's grumbling was too quiet for me to understand, Yang chuckled.

"You do have film though, right?"

Junior crossed both arms under himself. "We should. The system is supposed to recycle the tapes every week or so."

"Tapes…"

"I told you the system came with the building."

Ozpin interrupted me before I could complain louder. The man stood from the table with a gentle smile. "It seems both parties have reached an amicable solution."

Various members in the room raised protest.

Junior's was the loudest. "I have promised the Alpha to bring results. I only agreed to meet with you three at Beacon because I didn't have the manpower at the time, but now that we know where they are why should we delay further?"

Ozpin waited for the silence to return to the room before continuing, "Let's try and handle this diplomatically. Both parties need to see the film, yes? The film is not here, so the next course of action is to see the actual incident."

I wanted to whine, to lecture the table about how they could have missed something so basic. Wasn't evidence, watching the recordings of what happened one of the first steps of settling a dispute? I couldn't fathom how the members of the table lacked common sense. Then again when dealing with werewolves, witches, wizards and imps, maybe common sense didn't apply. My thoughts almost made me miss the end of the conversation.

"Please do not blame any other party here, Junior. Just because you reached an impasse does not mean you did not agree to come to Beacon for neutral arbitration. Vale's pack hardly wants to wage a full war against Patch, especially with your current state, do you?"

The sound of shattering glass echoed out in the room followed by a sigh. Junior eased open his hand revealing the remnants of his rocks glass. With a practiced motion, he pulled out a black leather coin purse and began plucking the shards from his palm to place them in the pouch. I watched the wounds seal closed as he removed each fragment, some pieces had to be torn out of the healed over skin. Once he removed the final piece, he spoke with only the barest wobble, "Pardon me for the glass. I assume this decision is being backed by Beacon?"

"Do not worry about the mess," said Ozpin, ignoring Junior's question. "In conclusion, Junior, under your hospitality, the other party will travel with you to the location of the tapes and will watch the film before deciding. This includes Jaune."

"Where are the tapes located exactly?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

Junior paused at my statement, his eyebrows almost touching as his hands ran through his facial hair. "Pack headquarters."

"Can we go back to playing pass the blame?"

No one listened to my request.

* * *

 _Author's Note_

 _This was supposed to be the same chapter as chapter 3, but that would have made it an 8k long chapter. With the amount of information revealed, the characters introduced and the locations, I felt it was necessary to break it up. Perhaps this is why the pacing of chapter 3 felt off?_

 _Follow, Review, or Favorite if you liked my work, it makes me smile._

 _Until next time,_

 _Mkspotlights_


	5. Werewolf Wicked Ch: 5

_Thanks for the reviews!_

 _In regards to the pairings, I'll leave it unanswered for now. I have a pairing in mind, but romance is an area that needs work for me, so please be patient with me._

 _The artwork was done by my real life friends, who do not own any social media accounts. If they do get around to posting it I will be sure to give you all a link. As it stands the art is exclusive to this story. ;)_

 _On with the show as Jaune falls deeper down the rabbit hole!_

* * *

 _Cover Art by: Crashman42_

 _Editing by: Freckles Fiction_

* * *

Werewolf Wicked

Chapter 5

I didn't have time to explain, I didn't have time to cry out in alarm, I didn't have time to see it coming.

"Hmm, is this the little rabbit who's been giving us so much trouble?"

"Smells like him, Sis. Should we take him out?"

"He doesn't even look worth the bite."

I struggled at those words. Using both my hands I grabbed at the fist buried in my hoodie, trying to pry the white, gloved fingers apart. It was difficult when I could barely breathe.

The girl didn't notice my attempts. She cocked her head to the other girl, who looked exactly like her, but dressed in all red instead of white. "Did you hear any word? Do we end him or take him?"

"No messages since he went in."

I wasn't a trained fighter by any stretch of the imagination, but I had size to my advantage. My job kept me in decent shape and I tried to exercise when I had the time, so when I lashed out and kicked the girl with all my force behind it, I knew it would hurt.

It hurt my own foot.

The toe of my shoe bent at a right angle, my momentum backfiring when my foot slammed into a brick wall, and my ankle throbbed with the sudden reversal of force.

The girl didn't blink, casually pushing against my foot with her pointer finger. For all my efforts the only thing that I had to show for it was a speck of dirt, staining her white dress.

My back slammed into the wall and the air in my lungs exploded. The stars in my vision were swept away and brilliant, green eyes took their place. A sneer covered one side of her face, matching her voice.

"If he dies, it'll teach that bitch a lesson."

I didn't know who they were or who they were talking about, but they knew me and they wanted me dead. Ignoring the tenderizing of my back I struggled, flailing any appendage available to dislodge the girl's single handed chokehold on me.

Her grip tightened and I wondered how everything went wrong.

We agreed to head to wherever Junior kept his recordings and after overly formal farewells we made to leave. I remembered leaving the shop while Ruby tried to peel Yang off from intimidating Joan and then everything went haywire.

Blackness crept in from the corners of my vision. I called for Ruby or Yang, but a croak was the best I could muster.

"Melanie, let the kid go. Militia, stand down."

Immediately, the obstruction to my airway disappeared as did the steel beam holding me in the air. My knees slammed into the concrete, slick with gray water. Red alarms blared through my skull. I couldn't tell where the pain originated. Everything hurt. I did notice the burning of my lungs as I sucked in oxygen.

Now that I could breathe, Junior's voice came through clearer. "The human's with us until we get back to the club."

I recognized the voice of my tormentor, Melanie as Junior called her, from her attitude more than anything else. "We going to let the pack join in?"

"No, we're going to get evidence."

"Evidence? We know what we saw. Let's put an end to this, we already let the human go once."

"Not my choice," said Junior, his voice rising in pitch. "Hey, hey, Blondie, cool it!"

"I don't know, looks to me like you're breaking the truce," said Yang.

For once I welcomed Yang's growling.

"They didn't know and you can't blame me. This situation is hardly one we could plan for."

Having regained enough ability to lift my head I saw the red dressed twin in a standoff with Yang as Ruby slowly moved around with a hand on her gun.

"I gave my word that you'd be safe until we see those damn videos, so let's all relax because you can believe me when I say, if it wasn't for my promise I would love to go for round two."

Ruby reached my side and bent down without taking an eye off the situation. "Jaune, are you okay?"

I wanted to complain, but I could see where the situation was heading. A bloodbath in the middle of the street wasn't the best outcome, especially if Ruby fired a shot. I couldn't trust my words, so for everyone's sake I nodded.

"Yang, Jaune says he's okay."

"See blondie, the human's fine. Can we move this along?"

Ruby released her hold on her gun, the twin in white stepped away from me, the twin in red joined her sister, Yang unballed her fists and just like that it was over.

I massaged the growing bruise on my neck. "What the heck just happened?"

Yang answered, "Told you."

"I don't recall you saying that I would be attacked!" My voice grew in volume as I continued, "Or that someone would grab me by the throat."

Yang made sure I saw her roll her eyes. "Back up plan."

The complaint caught itself on my tongue, Yang did mention an alternative. I didn't expect two girls half my height to be the back up plan. Melanie and her sister wore low cut white and red dresses, respectively, the kind I saw only when patrons were out looking for a specific good time. Their faces were made up to match, giving off a maturity on too young a face. Both girls didn't look like reinforcements, they looked like my sisters playing dress up, yet they were Werewolves. No human, their size, could hold me with one hand.

Lifting me up should have been a challenge in and of itself. It was a matter of physics and manipulating the size differences. Just because I could lift 165 pounds at the gym didn't mean I could do the same with half barrel kegs. They were ungainly and so were my limbs when compared to Melanie. Yang's comment on bench pressing a truck came to mind alongside the snapping of a spoon. My imagination fed me images of what Melanie could have done if she grabbed my neck instead of my jacket.

They didn't need to transform. With the thought in mind I was back in the closet, staring through the slits waiting for monsters to break through my door. What crept on the other side changed from a ravenous beast to Junior with a dozen men armed with pistols and a large cleaver. Now, what could go bump in the night settled on a tiny girl armed with her bare hands.

Junior moved to haul me to my feet.

A shiver ran through my aching body.

Junior retracted his hand. "I won't apologize for their actions, they are acting on my orders. You can blame me if it helps, but I do what is right for the pack, I can not change the laws. However, I have extended my protection over you until we see the tapes. Do you take offense for my subordinates?"

I didn't look to see if it bothered Junior when I took Ruby's hand to stand. I didn't care at the moment. "Er, no. Should I, Ruby?"

Ruby nodded. "No blood was spilt and we recognize that you did not have a chance to communicate the ruling of Beacon. From here on out we expect you to treat us hospitably."

"Let's move on," said Junior, releasing a breath at our words. "I will ask very nicely that blondie doesn't do anything to set them off and I will make sure we get to see those damn tapes. Does your group have a ride? If not, you can ride with us."

"I'll drive," said Yang.

"So much for not setting them off," said Junior, turning face to face with Yang. "Our ride, I drive. You can have shotgun."

Yang and Junior stood square shouldered and chins high, challenging the other with everything, but eye contact. Our teamwork didn't even leave the ground before it hit turbulence.

"Yang, if it helps I'll sit behind Junior."

"Junior, we can just have Ralphy drive, before you both catch a conniption."

Ruby and Militia paused as their suggestions overlapped.

Yang settled the dispute, each word a fight itself as she pushed them out of her mouth. "It would help if you let your subordinate drive. I'd feel better if I can keep you three in my sight … please."

Junior only nodded at the end of Yang's statement, turning without acknowledging who won. The twins followed behind as they walked across the street toward a monster of a vehicle.

It took Junior several long strides to reach the driver's door from the rear end. One knock on the black tinted window brought it rolling down just enough to show a pair of crimson sunglasses and a lapel of a suit. I watched Junior's lips move through the reflection of the polish. The shades nodded, the window rolled up and Junior swung the body of the vehicle open, showing black leather seats.

"Well, come on. Let's get this over with," said Junior.

I leaned and whispered in Ruby's ear before she could follow Yang, "Aren't you human too, why are they treating you like you aren't?"

Ruby shushed me. "I don't smell like a human, you reek of one."

I changed the subject to a more important one. "Didn't Yang try to escape their headquarters? Are we sure we want to go with Junior?"

"Junior said you're safe. He gave his word."

"Why should I trust the person wanting me dead?"

"In the Midnight World, you don't break promises, Jaune."

"Sure, he can regret breaking his promise, but I'll already be dead."

"As long as you remain a guest by doing no harm to his, he must and will do everything in his power to protect you, until he honors his words to a tee."

"Does all this work if he gave his word unwillingly?"

"Normally, no, but that's why we went to Beacon. He willingly allowed their arbitration."

"Doesn't seem like a smart move."

"Normally, negotiations don't end in a complete stalemate." Seeing my expression Ruby broke into a smile and dragged me into the vehicle. "Relax, you have never been safer than walking into their headquarters under his protection."

"What about after?" I asked, settling into one of the seats.

"Yang and I aren't the type to try and kill someone so casually."

Junior didn't look like he agreed with the sentiment, shutting the door with more force than necessary.

I heard the growl of a powerful engine, felt the supple leather under my fingers and saw the logo of Junior's shirt, all were of high quality. My own bargain bin jacket and frayed jeans turned from unkempt to down right destitute in comparison. Being manhandled didn't help. The knees of my pants were stained, my clothes disheveled, and I couldn't imagine my expression looked better. I refused to comment, I wouldn't give my antagonist any sort of praise.

Junior was the last to sit, next to the twins, across from Ruby, Yang and me, creating more than just a physical divide in the car. That didn't mean their bodies were quiet, on the contrary their body language spoke sagas. Everyone in the car sat on the edge of their seats, using their legs to support their weight as hands were white from strain.

I sunk deeper into the cushioning and prayed for a short trip.

Several minutes of driving was all it took. The posturing in the air reached a fever pitch and I worried we wouldn't even make it to our destination. Melanie pulled upon every crude gesture in existence from her arsenal, Militia kept it down to contempt, while Yang leaned ever closer toward Junior's space. Ruby was the only relaxed person in the vehicle, sipping on a can of juice from the minibar.

When my scroll vibrated I jumped to answer it.

I immediately wanted to hang it up.

" _Jaune, why haven't you answered your scroll?"_

"Hey, Marcus."

" _Don't hey me. I've been trying to reach you all day, all early morning, and all ass hours of the night._ "

"Maybe you should speak a little softer?"

" _Softer? Softer! I'll speak softer after you tell me if you saw who destroyed Delila."_

"Delila?"

" _My car! When I closed down the bar for the morning I saw her ruined. People said they saw a big dog, but no dog could do what was done to my sweetie. Some kids must have bashed her in with a bat or something."_

"Or something…"

" _You know what happened? When I find out who it is there will be hell to pay."_

"Speaking of hell to pay-"

" _I may be retired, but I can still crack some skulls."_

"- I don't think I'll make it in today."

There was a pause in the tirade, before Marcus continued in a subdued pace. _"I still haven't worked out who destroyed our carport, the staff have no way to get to work, and you left early. You are coming in."_

"Marcus, listen you don't understand."

" _Jaune, I like you, I'm nice to you aren't I? I let you go home early after your little crush left, right?"_

"I may not be able to, not that I don't want to-"

" _You are coming in and you are going to tell me what you saw when you left for the day."_

The line went dead, which made the awkwardness more prominent.

"What?" I asked, looking at the assorted expressions staring at me.

"Good choice," said Junior.

Contrary to most opinions of me, I caught on. "I won't put him in danger. Heck, I wouldn't put myself in danger."

"Let the Veil do its job."

"The Veil should be fired."

"Maybe," said Junior, turning to look out the window. "We're here."

"Your headquarters is The Club?"

"I'm pretty sure I said that before."

"I didn't realize it was 'The Club'."

For those of us in the liquor industry, 'The Club' was obnoxious at best and death at worst.

Located in the grungiest part of Vale's warehouse district, neighboring industrial silos and a network of steel pipes, stood its four story foundation. The glass dance floor functioned as the main locale for people in their midlife crisis, young adults, and teenagers with fake IDs. Its bone vibrating music overpowered the noise of the highway bordering its side, a siren's call for those who wanted a night to never forget, with deeds one wouldn't remember. Right now everything was quiet.

"We're not going through the front?"

"Not everyone wants to make an entrance, Blondie. You're also not a welcomed sight at the moment. Everything will go smoother this way," said Junior as we turned a corner to the back entry.

Werewolves owning one of Vale's biggest nightlife locales wasn't the secrecy I imagined after every creature I met extolled the importance of it. Then again, the few times I frequented 'The Club', I never thought the bouncer could tear my head off with his bare hands, at least without some effort. The location being run by an organization of supernatural creatures did explain how 'The Club' has been in business for as long as anyone could remember. While we vacated the vehicle, I wondered if the stone columns and design were owned by Junior's crew when it was considered stylish instead of vintage.

"Dammit, what are you doing here?"

"Hello, Junior, and the stray who wrecked our turf. What are you two doing together and not killing each other? Did you need my help with getting rid of vermin?"

"Where's Boris?"

"The Alpha asked me to watch his station while he's recovering."

"Oh it's you," said Yang, sniffing the air, her voice slipping into a rumble. "I would get out of my way."

Junior's hand stopped Yang from advancing. "Piss off, Viktor. This isn't your business."

The person blocking the door took on a sneer that matched his demeanor. No amount of high class clothing could cover up the man's slime. It didn't help that he wore his shirt untucked and unbuttoned down to his chest. "Anything that affects the pack is my business." Viktor growled deep as he let his eyes drift over the members of our tenuous alliance. "Oh, little girl in red, how have you been since last time?"

My eyes reached the size of saucers when I saw Ruby cower, hunching into herself. Her body began quivering as her gaze locked onto mine. Shielded by her posture she used her index finger to point at herself then toward me.

Trying to figure out Ruby's intent proved fatal. I didn't see the man moving, until his fingers were covering my vision. Each fingertip flexed in on itself, moments from rending furrows into my skull. I couldn't close my eyes in time, as a result I caught a blur of white and red from the edges of the man's palm.

"Do not break Junior's word," said Melanie.

"He is your second," said Militia.

By the time I stumbled back, the twins pinned the man to the floor. Melanie held a foot over the man's spine, while Militia held him by the nape of his neck as she pressed his face into the cement.

The trio of Weres struggled on the ground. Viktor attempted to thrash and dislodge the twins as the duo calmly applied more pressure. It took several beats for the man to draw still.

I didn't need to see Viktor's face to hear the venom in his voice. The growling did it for me. "Nothing lasts forever. The Alpha is disappointed in you for what happened with the female stray. Now you are escorting her, her submissive sister, and trash into pack territory."

"It's what the Good Witch and the Wizard decided."

I watched the blood drain from Viktor's face, his neck a pallor to the girl's crimson gloves as he squirmed. Finding a lifeline, he said, "The Alpha will know."

"Sure, let's go with that," said Militia, leaning closer to the man's ear. "Viktor, I command you to tell the Alpha."

The man stiffened. "You dare?"

"I would."

Though the man's body remained frozen, his expression did not. His face twitched and vibrated as his lips curled into a smile that began to tear the skin at the edges. I inched away as his face began to roll like waves, the muscles underneath spasming as his cheek shifted several inches under the skin. The dull crack of bone, several times louder than a knuckle popping, echoed in the alley. The man's suit writhed, sending rippling sections of wool as the material stretched and strained to match a body shape a tailor could never imagine. The man's eyes, more blue than brown, widened, when three long fingers in the shape of an ice pick appeared millimeters from touching.

"Change, try to escape my orders, and give me an excuse to pluck your eye out," said Militia. "It'll teach you a lesson while you wait till it grows back."

"Enough," said Junior. "You embarrass the pack."

Viktor's face stilled, before it moved in reverse. His cheek returned back to normal as the twins stepped away.

I swore I saw his shoulder relocate into its socket as he shot to his feet. Viktor rolled the joint in a slow rotation, as Junior stepped forward into the smaller man's space.

Junior's voice sliced through the alley. "You heard her, Viktor. Cut it out and get going before you break my hospitality. I'll clean up the human without your intervention."

His head craned around Junior's bulk to try and take a peek at the twins behind him. When it proved futile he went with insults. "Bitch, just because Junior took you both as his mates you think you're better than me."

"Tell the Alpha. Tell him that I look forward to the day you challenge my right as second in front of him and the pack so I can rip you limb from limb. Stay there until I'm finished with this."

Viktor spat, his spittle landed across Junior's shoe, then turned and disappeared down the hallway.

"That wasn't needed," said Junior, into the void left by Viktor's retreat.

Melanie shrugged. "Viktor needs to be put in his place. Besides, he would have attacked the human."

Junior grunted and gave our group a once over before he continued into the hallway. "Don't ask."

Yang said what we were all thinking. "The pack is not in harmony."

"Please, don't."

Yang's head swiveled on an axis before she nodded, following Junior who opened the door to 'The Club'.

Walking past crates of ingredients and bottles, I found everything in order. Beers were stacked on top of several boxes of mix, a crate of oranges supported a mountain of paperwork, and industrial bags of soda syrup hung precariously off of filing cabinets. I found solace that we were all one earthquake away from an avalanche of mess. There were things everywhere. It was chaos, organized chaos.

Marc's was a place to socialize and 'The Club' was a place to disappear. 'The Club' served drinks to look nice, be quick to drink, and to be strong as possible. Its cocktails were overly fruity, bartenders tended to pour shots than beers, and the mentality showed in their stock. Bottles of hards, dozens more liqueurs, lined the hallway as we walked through, forced to move in single file. I felt familiar, at home. If I were here to staff instead of survive, I could find my way, easily.

When we passed by a shining metal door I had a few questions. Roughly three inches thick from what I could see through the small window, barred off with shining cylinders. It looked like a jail cell and definitely didn't belong in a bar. It screamed 'important information here' in big bold letters.

Junior must have read my thoughts as he grabbed a hold of one of the bars and pulled. His muscles bulged, but the bar didn't budge. "Don't even try, it's made with all the creatures in mind."

Smoke oozed from Junior's hand. The smell of grilled hamburger filled the space, overpowering the odor of cigarettes and mixing with the residue of vomit. When he loosened his grip, several strands of melted skin adhered his palm to the bar, before he ripped the connections apart. The clumps of flesh that hung to the bar shriveled and blackened as if it were on a hot pan.

"Silver," said Yang, saving me from asking.

Silver, this is what silver did to Werewolves? The sight topped the charts for disturbing things I've seen recently. The oily black residue on the bars raised the seriousness of the situation. What would happen if someone was stabbed by silver?

"Silver bars wrapped in a cold iron frame and blessed for good measure."

"Is that where the recordings are?"

"No, that's where we keep problem people, among other things."

"So, it's a safe room. Besides trying to show off was there any other point?"

"We aren't in poverty, we take care of our own."

"Not as far as I've seen and I have no interest in being on the bottom."

"You would be protected."

"Do I look like someone who needs to be protected."

"Tradition-"

"Save it, Junior. I ain't planning on joining anytime soon or ever."

Before I could see his reaction, Junior turned and moved toward another door, this one made of a machined metal slab, a more expected sight.

"Here's where we have the tapes," said the man as he bent over and pressed a combination onto a keypad. The door whirred as locks clicked open, followed by Junior pushing the door open and stepping inside.

The train of people followed, dispersing into separate groups once we settled in the room. Junior made his way to an archaic machine, which I assumed was the recording system. Melanie and Militia stood in the center of the room, content to avoid touching any of the dust covered furniture.

Ruby and Yang were the odd ones. The shorter of the two circled the room's perimeter, knocking on each of the walls every couple of feet. Once she completed the lap she looked at Yang, who nodded and shut the door before speaking.

"There are problems in Vale's pack."

Junior pried open the bottom console and shoved his entire arm inside.

"I can see the discord."

"I'm pretty sure I asked you not to talk about it."

"You heard the knocks, the room's as sound proof as we'll get," said Yang, while shaking her head. "Viktor is not your equal. Not enough to challenge you out there."

Junior didn't turn to speak. "There are always challengers in pack hierarchy."

"You are a Second, the only challengers are those who are on the cusp on being an Alpha in their own right."

"Maybe he is."

"He was overpowered by one of the girls. He's not dominant enough."

"The girls are pretty dominant."

"You are being doubted," said Yang, with a shake of her head. Her eyes drifted toward the twins. "You claimed two mates."

A spark of the machine was followed by Junior's cussing.

"Do you not like to share?" asked Yang, turning to the twins. "Or do you really like to?"

"We aren't sleeping together, Cow Tits," said Melanie, her hand finding her sister's and squeezing.

I moved toward the larger man, hoping to escape the pressure filling the room and save my only lifeline, the machine from Junior. "Let me see what I can do."

After Junior moved aside, leaving the shape of his hand in the warped panel, I wanted to cry. Not only was the system obsolete by generations, but it looked like someone decided to dump a trashcan into the inner console. I wasn't technologically adept, everything I knew about technology I absorbed through second hand knowledge, but even I could think of several things to fix. Using the sleeve of my jacket I began the process of evicting spiders and clumps of dust, the conversation coming back into focus as I worked.

Melanie spoke first, "We were turned young and you must know that don't mean shit to the older wolves. They saw us as meat, free game to claim as theirs."

Her sister continued, "When it started to get bad, Junior claimed us during a pack meeting."

"We were safe then, we held rank, even if it's through proxy. We couldn't be touched."

"We're mated, our wolves need each other. However, we are not like that."

My hands froze around a ball of filth, more dust lion than bunny. I ignored the prickle of fleeing spider legs as what the twins had said replayed through my mind. This made it the second time someone mentioned a wolf as a separate identity to themselves, yet the idea of two beings living in one head was the least egregious statement. The more relevant issue came from Melanie's lines. It made me sick to consider.

"The only way to us is through challengers," said Militia.

"Were there?" asked Yang.

"Not any more," answered Junior. "Viktor's an exception. He's been chafing recently."

I closed the panel and tried the switch. When the system flickered and booted on, I cheered.

Chewing on the inside of my lip, I pressed play on the recording of last night, hoping that Yang hadn't somehow lied. My hopes were crushed after the first second.

The tape showed nothing. Smudges covered the image, dots blocked out entire portions of the film, and the few frames we were able to see proved useless. The image quality was abhorrent, each image was overly grainy, useless. The film clearly was damaged, unsurprising from the amount of neglect, but it bared bad omens for my future. A weight began crushing me, I knew what was coming.

Ruby, the voice of everyone put it best, "What does this mean?"

"Can we go back to killing them now?" asked Militia.

Junior's arms crossed and Yang took a step forward. The conflict looked inevitable.

I didn't want the situation to escalate any further. "I might have a solution."

All eyes turned toward me and I knew the next words that came out of my mouth would be the deciding factor on how the situation played out.

"Can you fix it?" asked Ruby.

I shook my head. I wasn't a tech expert, I didn't know the first place to start on fixing the film without irreparably damaging everything in the process. I remember being told of many cases where a single mistake could tear the film, a careless error could ruin the product and I'd be left worse than when I started. I didn't know how to fix it, but I knew someone who could, the question became if I wanted to get them involved.

Wasn't that a big _if_? The thought of bringing someone I considered a friend into the debacle of my life tasted repugnant. I would put them in the same place as myself, cattle on the chopping block, hoping to stall the butcher's hatchet a bit longer. On the other hand, if I didn't try, we'd be back at the starting line. If I wanted to survive, I needed their help. The question boiled down to how I could keep them safe.

"Then what's your plan?"

I wish I could tell her, but then again I didn't know if I could call my idea a plan, rather than a hope and a prayer. "I know a person."

* * *

 _Author's note_

 _This chapter I tried to focus on what are things someone can do that shows they are dominant rather than just point it out. Touch was a big one._

 _More information drop, another delay on the quest, and new characters. Boy, oh boy._

 _Follow, Review or Favorite if you liked my work, it makes me smile and I read every comment._

 _Until next time,_

 _Mkspotlights_


	6. Werewolf Wicked Ch: 6

_Poor Jaune, life sucks for you. If only I could fix it with a snap of my fingers… or something._

 _Am I reusing introduction sentences for chapters? I can't remember … boy, I hope not._

* * *

Cover Art by: Crashman42

Editing by: Freckles Fiction

* * *

Werewolf Wicked

Chapter 6

To say my suggestion went over well would be a complete and total lie.

Melanie turned out to be the most vocal, "Another delay, this is ridiculous. Junior, you only agreed to come here and see the tapes."

I coughed to clear my throat of all the dust, using the excuse to plan my next sentence. The gravity of the next exchange loomed overhead as a constant reminder of the tight rope I was about to walk on. I hoped I had a basic grasp of the rules. "Junior agreed to see the film. He gave his word he would see the evidence before he decides what to do."

"You wanna stay alive, cute, but we saw it. Junior held his end of the deal."

"Technically, he hasn't." I winced when the air vacated the room. "He hasn't seen the tapes. What we saw was dirt, smudges and cannot be called evidence." I pushed further. If they believed me so far, I just needed to tempt my luck a bit more. "My group has done nothing to break hospitality so Junior's offer is still in effect." I leaned into the reputation of Beacon and delivered the punch line. "If you attack us now, you would break your promise to the Wizard and the Good Witch."

Melanie's eyes narrowed into slits. "Are you playing at being Fae?"

The idea of fae had to be pushed aside, I was dealing with Werewolves. "I'm just pointing out what Junior agreed to."

A glance to Ruby showed her nod in approval, the hand reaching toward her holster provided a different message.

Junior scoffed, "You want us to go on another goose chase?"

"I know a person."

"Another human?"

"As far as I know, though she's a little different."

Junior stepped into the center of the room and addressed me as if I was a puppy, "What solutions do you propose?"

"She's a journalist and a self-proclaimed investigator. She works with a lot of old tech, she has the skills and set up to at least clean some of the film."

"Fine. We go there, they fix the tapes, and then we exterminate them as well."

I dreaded those words. I expected Junior's logic, but it didn't make my response easier. "You must not harm them. Promise. Swear by it."

"You are hardly in a position to make demands."

"You don't want the secret getting out. I won't leak anything, so don't add another person in the mix. We get her to repair the film, we see who or what caused the issues, and we leave. If you don't agree, I won't take us to their place and we're back to standing here with no path." Expelling the last of my nerves, I released a shaky breath. "I'll leave us in this stalemate."

Junior turned stony. I couldn't see a single twitch from him, but I could feel his gaze.

I forced myself to believe in my words, I couldn't afford to show weakness. I couldn't afford to show how I held my argument together with a piece of gum and a rubber band. "You gave your word to not harm any of us until we see what's on the tapes to find the truth. The way I see it, I'm only giving you a way to honor your word."

I paused, a shaky breath left my lips before I let my eyes meet Junior's.

Ruby gasped.

Like the morning the connection established. The only difference was I knew what was happening. It only made it worse.

Junior raised an eyebrow.

The sense of dread, being caught in the eyes of a predator. I wanted to curl in a ball. Sweat began to form across my brow. My eyes narrowed, struggling to stay open. If the situation continued, I would die.

"Junior, second of Vale pack, honor your oath and do no harm to the humans who would provide aid to you."

The executioner's axe dropped. "Denied."

Out of my peripherals, I saw the room heading for a blowout, a very violent one. I didn't know Yang's abilities, but she believed in her capabilities. Ruby seemed cautious, but not afraid, yet we were in the pack's main headquarters. How many more werewolves could be around the corridor? I didn't know how many werewolves constituted a pack, but surely quantity could outnumber quality. I licked my lips, thinking where I went wrong, my knees shook harder by the second. I knew I botched the phrasing, the terms a slapped together amalgamation of the few lines I witnessed at Beacon and from the pages of a story book. If words were a contract in this world as Ruby said, then it didn't have to be the phrasing, but what I requested?

My answer clicked in place. "Promise to meet my friends, as a guest of their house. Do not get them involved. After the result of the tapes, I'll come freely, if that's the case."

Junior laughed, he laughed. The second in command slapped a hand across his eyes and leaned back as chuckles rumbled in his chest. His words were the saving grace, which brought the room back from suffocating to stale. "I like you, kid, you have balls. What was your name again?"

"Jaune."

"Alright, Jaune the human, you win," said Junior, once again making eye contact, the crushing pressure missing. "We'll play your game, one last pit stop. We visit this person as a guest, if it doesn't work, you come with us."

I didn't know if it was the breaking of eye contact or the relief I succeeded, but my rear end hit the ground before I could tell I was collapsing. I didn't win the war by any stretch of the imagination, but I succeeded right now. I wasn't fast, strong, or durable, but I could talk. Some would consider it my profession.

Ruby didn't celebrate. "Wait-"

"No, Jaune here is making a deal. Melanie and Militia will go with you to this other human's place. When you are wrong or if nothing is gained, you come with us. Blondie and little red can be dealt with after that as well. Do you swear by these terms, Jaune?"

The weight from earlier returned to sink my stomach down to my toes. "Wait... If nothing is gained?"

Junior's mirth switched on a dime. "You play with words, now honor them. You said you would come freely, if I leave this human out of it. I agree to those terms. Are you backing out?"

I cursed, cussed, and swore at my own mistake. Every warning, every example I remembered cautioned choice of words and I had just picked the wrong ones. I trapezed over a ravine to trip as I was crossing the finish line. Technicalities turned out to be a double-edged sword, but progress was still a victory, even if bittersweet. I created the situation and I was forced to follow through. I just hoped Ruby or Yang had told the truth. "I-I cannot speak for Ruby or Yang, but I agree to follow through with my promise."

"Junior-" said Yang, who stepped closer to me.

"You may have gotten him involved, but you are not his pack, Blondie. He can make decisions on his own," said Junior.

"So do you promise to leave this person unharmed?" I asked.

"I swear as the second that those under me shall not harm this other party, so long as they do not discover the Midnight World through your actions, and as long as we are welcomed as a guest under their house. Melanie and Militia will make sure of this."

"I don't like the sound of this. You aren't coming?"

"This has become much more complicated than first planned. I must speak to the Alpha and explain."

"Can the twins go? They did just try to kill me."

"The Alpha will not hear them."

"But he'll listen to you?"

"He should, besides being his second I am his son."

~/~

"Jaune, while that was brave, you have to stop making eye contact with every Were you meet."

"Didn't you say that it was a tactic that avoided violence?"

"You missed the important part of that sentence. It's a dominance contest," said Ruby.

"It's helped me so far?"

"Yes, tell me how Yang almost killed you and how Junior used it to pressure you into misspeaking."

My eyes slid over to the twins, who walked synchronously to my left without a care in the world, at least until I saw their eyes.

Melanie noticed my attention and shot me a glare that brought flecks of crimson to her eyes. Only after her sister tapped her on the shoulder did the twin in white snort and return her eyes back up the road. A pair of black sunglasses covered her eyes a second later.

I shifted to look at Ruby and Yang on my right. "The twins did it."

Ruby rubbed a hand across her face and scrubbed vigourously. "Look, Jaune, there are two ways you can deal with a Werewolf who acts aggressive toward you." Ruby raised her pointer finger. "If you want to fight, you growl back." A second finger followed the first. "If you don't want to fight, you cower and shy away."

"The second option's pros seem to outweigh the cons."

"For you, yes, always pick that one. Humans should abuse it. We can be submissive without submitting. Weres can't and don't have the luxury."

"Is this the whole hierarchy thing?"

"If you shy away, you've admitted you're a bitch, and give free reign to the other person," said Yang, from Ruby's right side, adding vitriol to her next words. "You're submitting to them. My wolf would never allow it."

"Didn't you say you came from your dad's pack… uh, doesn't that mean he is your Alpha, your boss?"

Yang stared forward and I would have thought she misheard me if it wasn't for the muscles in her neck tightening.

I decided to change the subject. "So, you're a Werewolf, but you have a wolf?"

"No, wolves are the instincts in our heads. They are the gift and curse placed upon us. They protect and help our human sides when we are unable to." Yang drew in a breath as she rubbed her eyes. "We teach new wolves to think of their new instincts as a second being, a guardian wolf. It's an easy way to explain why suddenly new Weres find they are unable to disobey their superiors."

Cutting off the discussion, Melanie interrupted, "Where's this source of yours, human? You made Ralph park a block away and I still don't see a sign that says video repair shop."

Militia was quick to follow, "I do not think a reporter or investigator as you said, would work in a residential area. If you lied to us, there will be repercussions."

"I thought it would look suspicious to have your driver take us right up to their doorstep, since she works from home. I didn't lie we just have to take a right at this corner," I said before things could get out of hand. I pointed toward the turn marked by a series of potted bushes I'd crossed many times before.

"If we are so close, I would recommend you stop talking about us," said the twin in red. "Unless, of course, you would like to give us a reason to kill these people."

I took the warning for what it was and focused on the steps in front of me. I smiled at the occasional jogger, dog walker, and mother pushing a stroller. Everyone who met my smile made a quick U-turn or crossed the street.

What could I say? It's been a long day, I doubted I looked at my best, and I took solace that the average pedestrian wasn't scoping me out or a belligerent drunk. Then again, one look at my group, who all refused to stand behind another by walking in a horizontal wall would make any mugger think twice. Not that it would happen in this area of Vale. While my apartment and our location were within housing districts, they housed a different clientele. The worst this area would see is a rambunctious teenager armed with eggs and a roll of toilet paper.

Turning the corner brought our destination into view. Located on the right side of the street neighboring a convenience store and another house, sat a two story building with baby pink walls and emerald tiled eaves. A glass pane on the bottom level showed cases of novels, magazines, and newspapers.

Ruby put it best. "A bookstore?"

"Yeah, one of my customers owns the place and invited me down. I've been stopping by ever since," I said, taking the first step up toward the wooden porch. Drawing in a breath, I settled my hand across the top of a rocking bench I've used many times before. "The person we need lives upstairs."

"What's the hold up?" said Melanie.

I pushed against the metal support beam, nailed into the bench's wooden back and watched it swing, before I pressed the doorbell. "Just remember to blend in."

"We aren't the issue, Jaune," said the twin, using my name for the first time and yet making it feel worse than calling me by my species. "Why would you ring the doorbell for a shop?"

Before I could come up with an excuse a soft, yet masculine voice answered back as the door opened. "Who is it?"

"It's Jaune." I smiled at one of the few people I could call a friend since I moved to the city.

"Jaune, you haven't answered your scroll," said the man, his pupils constricting as he adjusted to the bright mid afternoon sun, leaving his pink irises all the more prominent. "And friends?"

"Hey, Ren. This is Ruby, her sister Yang, and twins Melanie and Militia."

"I see," said Ren, black hair swaying back and forth as he gave a quick bow to each person. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Are you here to read or do you need something?"

"We were hoping to see Nora. Is she here?"

"She is."

"We need help restoring some damaged film."

Ren's eyes did a second lap at our mismatched group. The fact I've never mentioned any of them and the bags under my eyes didn't help. "What for, if you don't mind me asking?"

Luckily, I had planned an alibi on the way over. I gestured toward the twins and then the sisters. "A friend of Marcus had an altercation at their bar and we're trying to settle the problem out of court. When we went to see their recordings the film was ruined."

"I assume this _altercation_ is why you haven't called either of us back? Nora developed a theory that you had been kidnapped."

"Sorry about that, but it took me most of the day just to get the tapes in the first place," I said, laughing in a voice I hoped didn't sound too forced.

"Tapes?"

"Tell me about it."

"Are you going to stand in the doorway all day or you gonna let us in, Greenie?" asked Melanie, eyeing up Ren's green shirt, green apron, and white pants with green lines.

Ren didn't seem offended by the nickname, instead he calmly stepped aside. "Well, the tapes should keep her busy for the rest of the day. She's upstairs like always."

Before the twins could cross the threshold of the door I asked, "Do you welcome us into your home?"

"I always have, Jaune."

"Well you know, there's new people and all."

"I would still let them in, I can hardly stay in business unless I did."

I winced as Melanie looked to be ready to push me aside. "Could you say it?"

"I'd rather not."

"Please, Ren?"

Ren didn't exactly sigh, he did release a breath. "I welcome you to Renora's bookstore, Jaune and his new friends. Feel free to browse, please ask if you need assistance, or if you would like a cup of tea."

My smile reached the point of maximum awkwardness, climbing past my ears and toward my hairline.

"And please relax as a guest, but don't touch what belongs to Nora." This time he sighed, "Do you like to torment me, Jaune?

"Sorry, Ren, I couldn't resist."

"Do I want to know what belongs to Nora?" asked Yang.

While Yang looked far too satisfied at receiving an answer, I glanced toward Ruby, who returned my questioning look with a smile reaching from ear to ear. I didn't know if verbal contracts had to be acknowledged by both sides, but I couldn't afford the risk. Ruby's approval meant I did something right.

"Tch, damm fae sounding human," said one of the twins as they walked past the now leering Yang and a resigned Ren.

Shooting an apologetic look at Ren, I followed Ruby into the store. The smell of herbs, honey, and paperbacks welcomed me back to one of my favorite haunts. Ren didn't sulk, he would never openly reveal himself, but he did walk with an urgency toward his seat. Passing to my right, he stepped behind an oak countertop and sat with his back to an entire wall filled with small wooden cubicles.

My gaze drifted over the various mixtures for brews I could never remember, before my eyes settled on a display for a new release. "'A Future Relic'? Blake told me about it last night."

Ren rummaged behind himself. "It's been popular. A good bit of action and a fun twist on an established genre. How did you like 'My Turn'?"

"Can't wait for the next release."

"Your infatuation with books has always been a pleasant source of discussion, Jaune," said Ren, turning back with a fresh pot in hand. "It's good for business that your other infatuation has only exacerbated your reading." A smile, which I knew was a smirk, quickly shifted to a frown. "Are your friends alright?"

Trying not to seem too distressed, I pivoted on the spot, words of breaking promises on my lips, ready to break up a fight before it could start. My clothes rustling proved to be the largest disturbance as everyone else in the room were frozen in place.

Melanie and Militia stood ramrod straight, fists locked at their sides. Yang's hand reaching up to grab a book, looked less odd, except when I accounted for the fact that she hadn't moved an inch since I turned. Ruby, much less statuesque, stepped backward in two measured paces. So much for blending in.

The question if everyone had been petrified answered itself as all four Midnight World denizens still moved, their eyes that is. Each pair of eyes moved independent of their body as they tracked slowly across the room following the soft creaks of steps.

The person of interest appeared, in the form of a familiar face.

"Tukson?"

The man looked up from the cover of his book, meeting my eyes as his smile reached up to the spikes of his facial hair. "Jaune, it's been a while."

"I'll say, how have you been?"

"Busy, boss has been getting on my case recently," said the man, raising the zipper of his burgundy shirt up to the top of his neck as he paused to glance at the standstill. "How about you?"

"Same, you know how it is with drunks and other things."

"Other things, yeah…" said Tukson, clearing his throat as he placed his book on the counter. "We can't all work in a peaceful job, huh Ren?"

Ren took the offered lien and moved to bag up the book. "I have said before, you should do things you like."

"Maybe, I'll apply to work here then, if you'd have me? Wouldn't mind working with books."

"Unfortunately, I cannot hire the person who generates most of our income."

"In that case, I'll buy you out and rename it. 'Tukson's Book Trade', has a nice ring to it."

"Shorten it. 'Tukson's' sounds better," I said, ignoring the twitching of my right eyebrow.

The man grabbed the bag from Ren, took one glance at the still frozen girls, and quickly vacated the shop. "Take care, Jaune."

I woodenly waved back, my eyes fixed on the girls who slowly started moving again as if they had been defrosted. I caught Ruby's look and hoped she caught my panicked look before I rounded on Ren. He had to have noticed something odd, evident how he raised a thin arm and quirked a brow.

I spoke before he could say anything, "It's been awhile since I saw Tukson."

Ren returned my quivering smile with a flat look. "He's been a regular, you're the one who has been absent."

"Wow, is that Camellia Sinensis?" asked Ruby, her smile matching my own.

"They are tea leaves."

"Sure looks fresh."

"It needs to be when you are brewing white tea. Would you like a cup?"

"I would love one," said Ruby, her smile cracking as she took the proffered cup. "Mmm, tastes grassy."

"Would you like some sugar?"

"No, that would ruin the magic."

Ren chuckled, pouring himself a cup, before he offered a small pot of sugar. "Well, challenging it may be to get quality leaves, I would prefer the drinker to enjoy what they're drinking."

I terminated any further discussion, quickly gesturing for the group toward the door that lead to the upper loft. "Sorry, Ren, we should really ask Nora for help. Everyone seems a little on edge over the incident." Before something slipped, I pushed the door open to funnel the Weres and Ruby through. "I'll talk to you later, kaythanksbye."

Shutting the door, I rounded on the group, and lowered my voice without taking out the indignity. "What do you think you were all doing? What happened to not getting the others involved?"

Melanie ignored my question, looking to her sister. "Is this a trap?"

"Jaune wouldn't do that," argued Ruby.

"Did he bring us to a hive?"

Militia shook her head. "Doesn't smell like one, probably was just biding its time until it got orders."

"What are you even talking about?" I asked, hands in the air. "The real issue is why you guys almost broke your word."

"We didn't, idiot. We wouldn't have acted so dramatic, if you told us we were walking into a bloody vampire."

"A ... Vampire?" I asked, with a snort and a wave of my wrist. "It's still sunny. If he was a vampire, shouldn't he, I dunno, combust into flames?"

"He's a thrall. Slaves, walking food sources, a first step to being a blood sucker. They don't burn, yet," said Yang, shaking her head. "Doesn't matter. We should continue our mission. Its master isn't around, we would be able to smell death if that was the case."

The twins looked livid, both taking turns to smell the area, but after a few moments proved nothing detrimental they nodded.

"Your journalist is upstairs, Jaune?"

I nodded, letting my feet mechanically move up the stairs as I processed the newest information. First Werewolves, Spirits, Fae, and now Vampires. Couldn't I deal with one life threatening revelation before running into another faction? Shaking my head, I refocused on the ludicrous idea of blood sucking vampires.

Vampires, undead monsters that drank blood and mind controlled the weak of will. Ruby said they were real, Yang threatened me with them, but for Tukson to be one? I could remember days spent chatting with him over a cup of tea. Tukson never acted strangely, he didn't hiss or smoke at the sun. He was just a nice, book loving guy. However, the dramatic reaction of the girls couldn't be discounted. If he was a thrall, whatever that was, then I'd been exposed to the midnight world far longer than I thought.

There was no way someone so close to me could be a monster, right?

The question and the debate on who I interacted with on a daily basis would have to wait. If Tukson wanted me dead, he would have to get in line. We reached the top of the stairs and the Werewolves were already twitchy.

"Okay, just remember your promise."

"Junior's word is law, human," said one of the twins.

"You're a guest," I said again, more for my peace of mind than anything else. After a silent prayer I knocked. "Nora, I need some help."

My fist didn't make it past the second rasp before the door flew open, replacing the hard wood surface with warm flesh.

Nora ignored my hand bouncing off her forehead and pulled me into her chest. "Jaune, I thought you were dead!"

In between fending off her arms squeezing the air from my chest, I spoke without moving my lips, "Please, let me go."

"Murdered, kidnapped, flown the coop. Ren was so worried, he's been coming to me in tears for months."

"He looked completely fine."

"So concerned he buried it deep inside. You know how it is," said Nora, flailing her arms and thus my head. "He's shy."

"Nora, I need your help."

"I knew you would. Listen, I did my research and the best chance for your escape is to buy a ticket to Atlas, as a diversion, while you board a boat to Vacuo. I have the means to fake your death and I'm in the process of making you a fake ID," babbled Nora, stepping away from me as she jabbed a thumb into her salmon shirt, right on a line of text which she read aloud, "Need a detective or a cover up, call the Valkyrie. No one time fee, no salary, she only works hourly!"

"This is your help?" asked Yang, using one hand as a shield from the overt pointing.

"She's not finished," I said.

"An unsolved case, a lead on drama? Call the best ginger, Ace Journalist, NORA!"

"I'll repeat. This is your help?!"

Ignoring Yang's disturbed look, I turned to Nora. "I'm not moving to another city, I need you to fix a tape for me."

"Boring."

I held the tape toward her. "I'll pay."

"Sure, dear customer, come on in." Nora snatched the tape from my hand and disappeared into her room.

Ruby hesitated, "You sure about this, Jaune?"

"She's good at what she does," I repeated, gesturing for everyone to enter the room.

Militia approached the boundary of Nora's domain as if it was booby trapped. "If she kills us, you break guesting law."

"She's human and I'll remind you about your word."

"Whatever."

"Wait," I said, my neck swiveling on its axis, noticing a distinct lack of white. "Where's your sister?"

"Duh, she's downstairs watching the other one."

"We just talked about your promise and your sister isn't exactly the calmest sort."

Militia rolled her eyes as she tapped a finger to her temple. "She's calm."

As I struggled to think of a response the twin in red swept past me, patting me on the cheek with her palm. "We're just ensuring both humans don't see what they shouldn't."

Ruby and Yang followed without retort, leaving me at the rear of the train piling into the room. Milita seemed to have something more than confidence that her sister wouldn't harm Ren. I chewed on what it could be as I passed neatly stacked piles of newspapers, reports, and cardboard boxes; and stepped over strewn dumbbells, toward the heart of Nora's room. A corkboard, filled with newspaper clippings and articles, hung across the entire wall's surface. Each piece of information seemed random: missing people reports, stolen dust, a bake sale flyer, graffiti, and crime scene photos. However, they all matched by a neon pink pin, sometimes two, stuck through them as different colored threads linked everything together. Underneath the display was our goal, a stack of various machines and monitors, which I knew from experience only worked through hope and gumption.

"Can you fix it?" I asked.

"Psh, easy peasy," said Nora, bent over the disassembled tape shell as she manually ran through each inch of the film.

"What kind of journalism do you do exactly?" asked Militia as she flipped through a stack of papers heaped across Nora's desk.

"The Interesting kind, duh."

"Find anything interesting on the tapes yet?"

"I have to play the tapes before I can tell what's on them. Don't rush the master, I'll have it fixed lickity split."

"I see."

Changing thought processes to Milita's line of questioning, it didn't sit right. Doubly so was the attention the twin had on Nora's back. Yang's positioning as she drew closer to Nora, while she worked on the tapes, didn't help.

Nora slapped the case back on, inserted the tape into one of the machines, and turned on a monitor. "Wherever you got this tape from had to be deep cleaned. I removed so much gunk, but it should be fine now. Easiest lien I ever made."

Since I got involved in this insanity I learned to never assume a question to be innocuous. What could Militia be getting at? Without sending anyone into a panic, I tried to follow the twin's train of thought.

Replaying Junior's promise provided the answer. "Hey, Nora, do you think we could view the film privately?"

"It's a little late for that," said Nora as she stared into the beginning moments of the recording, a distorted Yang walking up to Junior.

Nora didn't notice the three other people drawing closer behind her. I tugged her off her seat before something irreparable happened. "I know, but it's a private issue we're trying to settle."

"You're acting pretty strange, Jaune," said Nora, cupping her chin. "Come to think of it…" she trailed off, turning to glance at the crew behind her before dragging me close to whisper, "Are these the kidnappers, Jaune? I have a bat in the back."

It wasn't lost on me that everyone in the room heard what Nora suggested. "No, no, nothing like that. Just that whatever is on the film is pretty embarrassing."

"You sure, blink once for yes, and twice for save me I need you to break their legs."

"I-I'm sure, Nora."

"You didn't blink."

"It's fine, Jaune," said Ruby, interrupting Nora, a few inches from pressing her nose into mine. "We need her help."

Looking at the monitor and replaying the film explained why. While the film remained fuzzy with random splotches, most of the largest dots and black frames were gone. Nora did a good job. The film did not resemble what one would expect from a black and white tape recording. The issue appeared once the film got to the point where Yang buried her fist in Junior's shirt. As if fate had a vested effort in mocking my effort, the film showed Yang's hand move before it blurred into spots again. The visibility returned only when Yang had released Junior, her hand pressed to her side as other men in suits swarmed the frame.

I couldn't help myself. "Dammit!"

"That's weird. I thought I fixed all the wonky spots," said Nora, sitting in front of the monitor as she set the film to repeat.

"Waste of our time. No more useless detours," said Militia.

"Nora, can you fix it?" I said, ignoring the twin while gnawing on the inside of my lip.

Nora steepled her fingers. "I can try to digitize the film. That might fix it, but I doubt it. Want me to try? It'll take a while."

"How long?"

"Depends. Tomorrow for sure."

A glance around the room, spelt disaster in the form of a repeat of what almost happened at 'The Club'. Turning back to the repeating film, I burned the images into my head in hopes I could fix the film by will alone. A flicker rose my hopes up. "Wait, replay that. The seconds before the static, can you slow it down?"

Nora followed through.

My face almost pressed into the screen as I stared, waiting for the same flash. "There, freeze!"

It took Nora several more times to get it right, but once she understood what I was looking for she got it. It only lasted half a second, just a flash on the film to Junior's right, but it was there. A girl, shorter than Yang, stared at the arguing duo, before everything scattered into dots, useless.

"One of the twins?" I asked.

"Impossible. We weren't in the bar until the bitch dropped Junior, after she got shot- Er, after she got hurt. We were talking with one of our clients," said Militia, pointing to a spot on the monitor. "If you play the film to the end, you see us coming into frame. It's not one of us."

She was right. We played the film and they appeared, but on the opposite side of the screen. It just left us with more questions. Pulling at threads, I said, "What if Junior saw this girl moving and mistook her? She could have worn a silver dress. It could have just been a misunderstanding!"

Militia waved off my argument. "We've been in business for a long time, we don't make mistakes. Besides, the image is in black and white, no color, no evidence that floats, nice try."

"What do you think it is?"

"Kid, I know you're desperate to find an out, but really? It's obvious. The girl was just out to have a good night, before Ms. Bitch ruined it."

"I think the better explanation is your boss is slipping," said Yang.

Nora hummed, focused on watching the film loop. After a tenth pass over she punched a fist into her palm. "It's a screen burn."

"A what?" I asked.

"A glitch from old film being recorded over and over again. The girl could have been there or she could have been there days, weeks, or months before the incident happened." said Nora, hands on her hips as she solved the riddle. Unknowingly, working against me without even knowing it. "Doesn't explain the funky film though."

Ruby tried to salvage the situation. "The recording is better than it was before."

Militia started to make a move toward me. "Doesn't matter, what does is that you're coming back with us."

"Coming back to where?" asked Nora.

The door slammed open, Melanie stood eyes widening. "Militia, you idiot, do you not feel that?"

Militia didn't answer, she was too busy screaming as she tumbled to the ground. Melanie joined her, losing her legs like a puppet without its string.

"Whoa, you okay, Ms. Kidnapper?" asked Nora, approaching the nearest twin.

"Not now, Nora." I grabbed Nora by the arm so she wouldn't get hit by one of Militia's flailing limbs. I looked toward Yang. "What's going on?"

Yang provided no answers, only more questions, cocking her head. "Something's coming."

"Should I call an ambulance-" began Nora, before her eyes rolled back into her skull.

I almost joined her. Terror. Mind numbing terror ran through my body. There was no sound. No source, yet my legs trembled and my knees knocked. It took all my focus to stay standing as Nora's dead weight tried to topple me.

"Sleep," said Yang, her eyes a burning crimson, one hand against Nora's forehead.

My eyes widened. "Y-Yang."

"Had to knock her out, it's not looking good."

"What did you do?"

"I commanded her."

"She's not a wolf..."

"Jaune, questions later," said Ruby, spying out the window overlooking the street.

Yang bent down and scooped Nora up, before turning to her bedroom.

"The pack is gone."

"The bonds."

I ignored the twins moans, leaping over their writhing bodies. I slammed my shoulder into the wall, joining Ruby peering through the blinds. What I saw made me wish Yang had knocked me out too. It would have stopped the flashbacks from sending a fresh wave of nausea threatening to upend the contents of my gut.

Two black, tinted vans pulled themselves on opposite sides of another larger vehicle. Their polished shells stood out in a neighborhood filled with matte colors. I recognized the style of black, chrome, and gloss. After all, I was riding in one just an hour earlier.

When a thin man, dressed in an unbuttoned shirt stepped out from the middle vehicle I knew things had taken a turn down the worst path. I didn't need to ask where his suit jacket went or why his smirk reached past mocking to cruel, the gun tucked in a holster on his shoulder did it for me.

The man calmly stepped into the middle of the street, using one hand to shield himself from the setting sun. He met our eyes through the blinds. "Little red, little red, let me in. Or I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll eat you all."

As if on cue, I watched the rear end of one of the vans wobble and bent, almost touching the tires as something furry and angry stepped out onto the pavement. The monster's fur bristled as it gave me a full show of its claws and teeth. The Werewolf was soon joined by a second one a moment later.

Secrecy threw itself out the window, onto the cold pavement below, and died under Viktor's polished show. The situation could be nothing, but disastrous.

Ruby met my eyes, drifting over the stilled bodies of the twins, and settled on her sister. "I don't think we're getting a coffee break this time."


	7. Werewolf Wicked Ch: 7

_Jaune's meeting vampires, claimed to be fae, and enemy werewolves oh my. Who did our protag piss off to get him in this situation?!_

 _Been a long week, but I'm glad I made it. Here we go!_

* * *

 _Cover Art by: Crashman42_

 _Editing by: Freckles Fiction_

* * *

Werewolf Wicked

Chapter 7

We had no time to prepare.

After the announcement by Viktor, Ruby turned and knelt by the stilled bodies of Melanie and Miltia, whispering for them get up. A glance back at the window showed the arrival of very deadly and very overt werewolves, waiting outside.

Who knew how long their patience would last.

Ruby resorted to shaking the twins as she repeated their names. She either ignored or didn't care about the chance the twins wouldn't be on our side.

I did. Grabbing Ruby's arm mid shake, I said, "We don't need to add more problems."

"We need them if we're going to fight. If they aren't on our side, we lose, probably..." Ruby shook her head and struck, slapping the girls across the cheek. "Besides, I think they'll be more concerned about their mate."

That did the trick.

Both girls went from sprawled across the ground to pressing their backs against the wall, speaking in a whispered flurry. Their chests heaved as their eyes darted to various corners of the room, their lips constantly moving. I barely caught every other word, but Yang seemed to understand.

"They aren't here to talk and they aren't on your side," said Yang as she stared down the twins.

Miltia said, "We can't feel Junior, the bonds are gone."

"Junior's dead?"

"No … Maybe, we can't tell. If it was just Junior, we would be able to feel Viktor and his goons out there." She paused as a shudder racked her body, leaving goosebumps in its wake. "I can't feel anyone."

"I felt the pack coming closer, but when I came up to see if you knew what was going on, they all disappeared. Everyone," said Melanie, looking much like her sister.

Yang crossed her arms. "You've been cut off. I know someone we can get answers from."

Both girls glanced at each other before nodding, their bodies turned rigid, leaving their clenched fists as the only spots still shaking.

I felt it prudent to address a major issue. "We can't just fight in the middle of the street."

"Better there than where your friends are, Jaune," said Ruby.

"Secrecy… The Midnight World? The whole speech about making sure a normal person never discovered it!"

"There are other ways to make sure no one finds out about us other than being sneaky," said Melanie, her eyes matching Yang's crimson.

"Viktor tends to go with the Scorched Remnant tactic," said Miltia, raising her chin and narrowing her eyes. Pale blue light shone through the slits, showcasing the deep set lines at the edges of her eyelines.

"Your tactics weren't?" asked Yang.

I hurried to jump in. "Yang, let's not antagonize the two girls who gave their word to protect us."

"We are under no oath to protect you, not anymore," said Miltia.

Melanie added, "Right now we find out what happened to Junior and the bitch over there is right, Viktor's the one who'll know."

"He's never been a smart one."

"He's never been a bold one either."

The damning statement floated in the room as my heart beat in my ears. The worst outcome, my worst fear came back to the forefront. The ghost of cool metal under my fingertips, with tears stinging at my eyes and snot running down my nose as I crept to safety, reappeared with a vengeance. The big bad wolf has come once again, I couldn't handle it half dead. Now there were two. Everything I've learned as I fell deeper into the Midnight World, only emphasized my flaws. I could use words, build a web of convoluted promises and half truths, to the point where I was too annoying to kill. Take it away and I couldn't last a second. A glance around the room sucked the last dregs of courage from my bones.

The twins sounded confident. They snarked to each other as they lauded the faults of Viktor and the two other Weres outside, but their words didn't match their posture. If I learned anything about Weres, I knew body language spoke louder than words. The twins expressed anything, but confidence.

Yang, probably expecting a fight to break out at some point, looked relaxed. Her worry was subtler. Yang's eyes glowed as crimson as her sister's hood, the two orbs tracking Ruby's movements. The aura of fear, the need to look away and roll on your back, wafted off the blonde in waves. Having experienced the pressure as many times as I have in a single day, I knew its purpose. I knew it to be a defense mechanism, a show by a beast to let one know they weren't prey.

Ruby, turned and sprinted out the door and down the stairs with not a word.

Everyone watched her leave, turned to stare at each other, before chasing after her. We made it down three steps before someone spoke.

"Don't think we're friends," said Melanie.

"Yeah, we're just going to find Junior and you're the battering ram," said Miltia.

"Works for me. Just give me a warning if you're going to stab me in the back," said Yang, grinning at the twins as she clomped down the stairs. "And try not to stare."

""Whatever""

As the group of Werewolves and Ruby crashed through the front door out of Ren's book shop, I had the pleasure of explaining away what was about to happen. His blank stare met mine, before drifting toward the line of black vehicles outside, and settled on his door hanging from one hinge. I didn't feel very confident about my chances.

"Jaune, why's everyone in a rush? Who are those people?"

"No reason and nobody. We just have to settle a dispute a little sooner than we imagined. Listen, Nora's asleep upstairs."

"Asleep?"

"She felt faint. Don't ask, just listen. Stay upstairs and take care of Nora. Whatever you do, don't leave the room and don't look out the window."

"What happened to Nora?" Ren's eyes looked to the door leading upstairs before locking back on mine. "Do you need help?"

"I know it sounds crazy, but I got this under control."

"Jaune."

"Promise me, Ren."

Ren looked like he had many more questions and I couldn't give him answers. He must have understood something was up because after a few breaths he nodded. "Bar altercation indeed."

Clapping him on the shoulder, I pushed him to the back door and waited until he started upstairs before locking the door closed. I owed him an explanation later and I'd have to get over the sting of lying to him, if I made it out of this situation alive. I had as much control as a kite in a hurricane or as a human wrestling a Werewolf.

Turning to the front door, the idea of barring it and hiding behind the counter came to mind. Just as quickly, I swept it away. I couldn't risk bringing them into the shop, closer to Ren and Nora. I couldn't put my friends in any more danger than I already did. I've been selfish and I refused to be more.

Pushing through the door and down the steps to the street, the first thing that came to my mind were my own footsteps. They rang through the street, each time my foot met pavement brought the clap of shoe onto concrete. Swiveling my head showed nothing, more specifically no one.

Absolutely no one. The streets were devoid of people; the once swollen streets now lay desiccated and hollow. The ring of houses held their breath except for the clapping of blinds as owners closed windows shut.

"Aww, a cute puppy."

My heart slammed out of my chest, my feet froze at the border of sidewalk and road, to the sound of squealing. I didn't move or shout in alarm, I didn't want to set it off.

A coffee brown monster with white spots watched as a child, barely reaching its shoulder, pet it like a dog. The creature cocked its head and shifted its eyes from the child to me. With far too human of a gesture, a grin appeared on its face. As it opened its mouth, a cavern of teeth just as long as the child's arm, flashed, before a sickly pink tongue lapped at the child's face.

The beast's eyes never left mine as the child squealed in delight, unknowing of what could happen in one bite.

"Onyx, sweetie, let's go," said the middle aged mother. She tugged on the child's hand, her eyes locked on Viktor and not the several hundred pound monster licking her child like an appetizer.

The lack of awareness, focusing on a gun instead of a tank with teeth was one wrong move from disaster. With one final pull, the mother hauled her son away and booked it down the street, disappearing from view when she turned.

Viktor and the wolf didn't acknowledge the woman, instead they kept their eyes locked on the twins as they stood on the edge of the street. "Took your sweet time. Best not waste more."

"Viktor, what are you doing here?" asked Miltia.

"I'm here, to bring you all back to the pack."

"Where's Junior?"

"He's been removed from his position." Victor licked his lips. "Alpha's orders."

"Impossible."

"I'm here, aren't I?"

"Here, for what?" asked Yang.

Viktor pointed his finger. "You, bound in chains." The digit drifted lazily toward Ruby. "Her as well, but that's a reward." When it reached the twins, his finger waggled left and right. "They're to be punished for misconduct, redistributed to different members of the pack." Of course, I wasn't left out. "And you, the Alpha wants to kill you himself."

"Y-You're not starting negotiations on a good note," I said, my eyes shifting side to side. "You're not hiding very well either."

"Who's looking? No humans," said Viktor as he raised his palms to the sky, eyes lidded. "Who's here to negotiate? Not I."

"No one ever wants to negotiate."

Ruby tried a different approach. "Look, Viktor, why don't we come along and we can talk with your Alpha? No need for violence."

"It's too late, eyes have seen and ears have heard. For the pack, an example needs to be made."

"Humans will see."

"Then they won't talk."

A crack rang through the quiet street, the sound reverberating in my skull. Ruby held her pistol in the air, her finger on the trigger. I had time to cover my ears, before two more bangs echoed. A single plume of smoke wafted from the tip of her gun as she spoke, "Someone will call the police, they'll be on their way and you cannot silence them all."

Viktor's facade crumbled, replacing it with a full faced grimace. "Go."

All I saw were blurs.

Arcs of color, the skittering of claws on pavement, overloaded my senses. I only picked up someone was pulling me away because my view shifted to the orange sky and a green roof.

"Jaune, stay here. Stay out of it," said the person, her face obscured by a red hood as she righted me. I recognized the line.

"Ruby?"

"You can't take a hit." The magazine of her gun dropped to the sidewalk. Ruby's eyes scanned the surroundings as she drew a new magazine from her vest and loaded her weapon. She paused to pull at a silver pendant attached to her neck.

I watched her kiss the rose symbol. "You can't either."

"I know," she said, sparing me a bright smile as she turned, darting after a flash of gold and crimson.

The gold was Yang as she rapidly retreated from a snapping Werewolf. The crimson was the rivulets of blood dripping from gashes in her arms. Yang propelled herself backward, and danced out of range.

The creature growled, chasing after her. Rearing its right paw, it swiped across Yang's belly.

Yang blocked the movement, impossible for any dog or wolf, catching the blow on her right forearm. Backpedaling, she found herself on the grass strewn lawn of Ren's shop.

The chocolate brown wolf saw the blood and chased harder, lunging with its fangs or claws for every step Yang took backward.

The thought of Yang's abilities being exaggerated tugged at the back of my head. She hugged her right hand to her chest. Blood stained her clothing as flashes of white shown through the damaged flesh. Yet, Yang continued to retreat, giving ground as she ascended the steps.

When her back hit the entrance of the shop, I knew she trapped herself.

Her opponent agreed, howling into the open air as its tongue lolled from its maw, a spray of spittle covering her.

Yang stumbled, leaning to her left as she cradled her injured limb.

The beast lunged in.

A crack, followed by the sound of splintered wood, and a clang, echoed at the moment of impact.

The beast blew past me, tumbling across the ground. Clumps of torn flesh and matted fur splattered across the street after every bounce. A trail of gore marred the pavement as the creature skidded and crashed into the base of the van's tires. The scream of an alarm cried out. The wolf hacked in tandem.

Meat, wet dog, and blood filled my nose. If I could smell the battle, I was too close. My feet pulled me back without any prompting.

The brown wolf staggered to its feet, catching itself once, before it heaved its bulk up and growled. The sound echoed in a wet gurgle. Its snout bent to the side at a wrong angle.

"Your Alpha should have taught you to hunt silently. The Veil can only do so much." Yang leveraged a steel bar on her shoulder, the improvised weapon still held remnants of wood from the bench it was ripped from. She swung the metal beam through the air and charged. "Round two."

I turned and pretended I didn't notice her damaged limb tucked close to her chest. Yang could handle herself, I couldn't. Stumbling over the lip of the road, I ran head first into a bundle of white.

"Get out of the way." Melanie shoved me to the side and dodged the other way.

A set of snapping teeth filled the space.

A growl followed, too close for comfort.

I went flying. Melanie was a short girl, she could choke me with one hand, the difference between the two of us could never be more apparent. Rolling ass over head, I felt rips tear open my clothes and skin alike. The world spun. A pole halted my momentum, crunching into my ribs before tipping me back on my hands and knees. Warm liquid, pooled in the inside of my hoodie and my jeans. It smelled of iron. Assessing the damage would have to wait. I looked up, held my breath, as the twins circled the other wolf.

The twins would take turns, whenever the wolf lunged at one of them the other darted in with a kick or punch. The dull crack of shin meeting flesh courtesy of Melanie, answered after a flurry of movement.

The gray wolf didn't withdraw, it charged. Ducking under a kick, it struck with fangs wide open.

Miltia pivoted, coming out with only a single rend through the hem of her dress. She returned with balled fists.

The clashing Weres continued, the twins spun and pivoted, the wolf barrelled forward. Dull thumps of limbs slamming into hide and the screech of claws on pavement echoed after every exchange.

Another trade of blows occurred, sending the wolf and the twins into a stand off.

I blinked.

The wolf lunged at Melanie's throat.

Melanie dodged.

The wolf grinned.

Mimicking her own maneuver, the wolf pivoted, coming face to face with Miltia.

The tearing of flesh was not a sound I ever needed to hear, let alone get an up close view of as the creature's claws raked across the twin's chest.

Miltia's dress hid the damage. Her expression did as well. She didn't cry out, instead she followed through and punched the wolf square across the face. Bones crunched. Wet pops echoed out.

Whose bones were anyone's guess.

That left one other Werewolf unaccounted for. The object that halted my momentum moved, leveraging enough weight where my kidneys ached. I spun out from under it. My feet pushed against the ground and I was standing. My wide eyes found Viktor leaning against his vehicle, smoking a cigarette.

"You look overwhelmed, trash."

I swallowed the lump in my throat as I tried to speak. If he wanted to talk, I wouldn't argue. "Why-" I had to stop, my words catching in my throat. I tried after a shaky breath. "Why, why do this?"

"It's protocol."

I swept my hands across the street, pointing to the droplets of blood from my fingertips and toward a larger puddle of crimson. My words ran together so quickly they clipped into one another. "To kill everyone or to try and move up the totem pole?"

"Neither. You see, Werewolves are a superior species. We live forever, we're stronger, faster, and more durable. We're evolution." He crushed his cigarette in his hand. When he showed me his palm the burn had already healed. "But, until we are ready to take our place at the top, we have to keep order, maintain a well oiled machine while we gather strength."

A shiver ran through my body. The thought of world conquest was a scary statement, an unexpected one and an unimportant one for now. A tingle in the back of my head told me he was monologuing. I pushed it aside, I had to keep the conversation going. "This factors in to your weird obsession with Junior how?"

"Junior disrupted the order. Wolves work for the pack. If the pack is strong, we are strong, but Junior has been doing things on his own for far too long, he is the weak link. The Alpha has seen the error in his way and Junior paid the price."

Out of the corners of my eyes, I could see Yang beating her wolf over the head with the steel pole. Ruby was nowhere in sight _._ The twins looked to be gaining the upper hand. _Could I keep stalling_? "Junior's dead?"

"The Alpha has called the pack and once I bring you to them, he will be."

I watched the man lick his lips as he took in a deep breath. I was naked. My body felt tender, raw. I didn't know if he was smelling me, but his expression changed from languid to predatorial. My foot inched back. "It probably would have been easier if we went with Ruby's idea. Haven't you heard of the pen being mightier than the sword, or claws in your case?"

"Even last night you just couldn't shut up could you? I'm glad the Alpha put his trust in me."

"What can I say? It's a gift," I said, pointing over his shoulder. "Now, Yang!"

Viktor spun in the direction I pointed. His hands splayed and mouth open in a growl.

There was nothing there.

Viktor snarled, jerking back to me. "You mother-"

He didn't finish his sentence. A black bin crashed into his torso.

Miltia's fist followed, slamming itself into his stomach. A second punch found its mark, followed by a third aimed for the chin. By the fourth hit the man raised his arms to block.

I heard the crack of bone on bone.

Miltia pulled back her fist, scrunched up the mangled digits and went for a fifth attempt.

Viktor retreated, one arm bent at an odd angle as the bone pushed against the skin in the middle of his forearm. He didn't flinch when he pushed the bone back into his body. The bone sunk back into flesh with a wet slurp. Spinning, he grabbed Melanie's leg, inches from bringing heel to skull and turned to swing her by the limb.

When Melanie's body shattered the glass window of one of the vehicles, she didn't scream, that was me. She grunted and yanked her ankle from the man's grasp. Her leg found the ground over the sound of several pops and cracks. Using the same leg, the twins continued their assault.

Miltia lunged in, covering several steps of mine with one of hers. She raised her right hand and brought it down with an explosive clap. The sound of a hammer breaking stone. Her head shifted to the right, a clawed hand took its place. It disturbed only wisps of her hair, before Miltia had spun away in a curtain of red. A magician with a cape, but deadlier.

A bolt of white, pushed through the red. A crunch and a sneer and Melanie's leg crashed into the man in a suit.

Viktor skidded back several feet, clutching at his side, where shin met his ribs. The man looked to be ready to say something. He didn't get the chance. The blender was upon him.

Both twins attacked, their patterns a dance and this time there was no fur and no extra layers of muscles to dampen the blow. Each hit sent the man staggering. Every time Viktor tried to right himself, a kick would be sent toward his legs, a punch would land on his jaw, and bones would snap.

Slamming his back into the door of his vehicle, red drool spilled down his lips as his eyes widened. Throwing himself to the right, Viktor dodged a fist that would likely have brained him. Turning to lash out at Miltia, he yelled, "B-Boys, get off watch, the girls are going against orders!"

Miltia yelped when a gray blade ran itself through her bicep, Yang swore as metal clashing with metal sounded behind me, and a bullet whizzed past my ear.

"Viktor, you shit excuse of a wolf," howled Melanie.

Yang yelled back, "Reinforcements!"

I didn't say anything, diving for shelter between the rear of the van and hood of the car. Pings chased after me, sparks flashing across the polished chrome as bullets ricocheted off my hiding spot.

The roar of blood in my ears fought with gunfire, shouts, and the crash of metal, all while I tried to catch my bearings. Things had gone from worse to terrible and continued on, breaking the meter. A quick glance behind me showed two men with cleavers the size of my arm. Yang circled the two. In front of me were two other men in suits and red shades. One bent down, his hand on the gray wolf, the other man raised a pistol.

I mistook the whistling in my ear as the bullet. It almost cost me my life.

A fist buried itself elbow deep into the car's hood, Viktor roared, a foot from me. Two chips of ice, swept over me as they focused on the screaming girl hurtling toward him.

I didn't wait to see what Melanie would do to him for stabbing her sister. I didn't want to become collateral damage. I rolled, tumbled, collapsed? I found my back against the wooden walls of the house across from Ren and Nora's. I couldn't breathe. My eyes swam for Ruby, she could help. She could do something, anything to keep me safe. I found her across the street, sprinting between bits of cover as bullets stitched a line behind her.

Too far for me. A howl pierced my ears. A missle of white filled my vision. I tasted vomit. Too late for me.

A crash mixed with the ring of glass. A spray of cold droplets rained across my curled up form. I felt the beading of liquid run down my skull and neck. A thump, my entire body seized, a clear blade missed my nose by an inch. The downpour stopped. I looked up. I wished I hadn't.

A maw of crystalline teeth seized a pair of still legs.

I stared. Nicks and cuts sealed closed. The bare leg's skin turned smooth, stained in so much red she looked to be wearing stockings. The disembodied legs echoed a muffled curse. They thrashed, slamming down against the transparent daggers. Soft flesh slid down the jagged pieces of window with no resistance. An outpour of blood followed. The tinkling of bells rang as Melanie's face came into view, a snarl pulling across the girl's face. She threw herself from the living room window of the house without a word.

I wondered if the owner of the house was at work. The thought vanished. I could only see the meat of her thigh haul itself off the shards of glass with a squelch. She was up on her feet, roaring.

She charged Viktor. I heard their bodies collide.

I needed to move.

A hiss left my lips and I quickly pulled my hand away. A pathetically small shard embedded itself into my palm. Pulling the piece out, I saw a red bead form and dribble down my hand. The wound continued to bleed, it wouldn't seal closed. I knew where I stood. I wasn't magic or whatever it was that kept the Werewolves standing. I couldn't move in blurs, I couldn't throw someone through a window. I doubted I could even run away if I wanted to, they could catch me without breaking a sweat. I couldn't heal. I could only hide and hope to all that is right that my side came out on top. I should just stay here and close my eyes.

I heard Ruby yell for her sister. Ruby, the human, was still fighting.

Getting to my feet, I ignored the crunching of glass under foot and the soft chime of shards dropping from my body. I needed to move, at least to where I could hide. I ran down the length of the center vehicle toward the last van in the line, using its higher cover as walls.

I clamped a hand over my mouth to slow my heart rate before it exploded from my chest. My entire body vibrated. Questions whirled in my mind as order and awareness were lost once the fight started. I didn't care about keeping the secret, I was concerned with surviving the next minute. I didn't know if Yang was alright. I didn't know when the police would get here. I didn't want to see the twins and I barely caught a glimpse.

Me and my big fat mouth.

Ruby had found decent cover. The pop of return fire, whizzed and pinged, as gunshots from the goons on the other side of my hiding spot, stopped. Ruby's bullets smacked and ricocheted off the metal chassis of the van, leaving the two suited men cursing and running for cover.

I tried to get to my feet as the idea of where this cover would be came to mind, but I was too slow. Two men in black suits with sunglasses turned the corner, using the van as a shield from Ruby's shots, right in front of me. Emotionless lenses met my eyes as both parties had a moment to think of what to do.

"Can we talk about this?" I asked.

The man raised his arm and l saw down the barrel of his gun.

 _No one ever wants to talk._

The man pulled on the trigger and a shot rang out, followed by a second, a third, and a fourth. The meaty thump of skull meeting cement followed.

I cracked open my eyes and saw the two goons face first into head shaped cracks in the cement, blood leaking from two holes in their thighs as a third man in a suit stood over them. I couldn't bring words to my lips, my mouth moving on its own. My brain tried and failed to wrap itself around the situation.

"Where's the girls?" asked the man as he reloaded his still smoking pistol.

"Wha?"

"The twins. Where are the twins."

"Over there." I pointed in the direction I last saw them.

The man nodded and sprinted off.

My eyes followed him as he turned onto the street, toward the prone body of the two goons who tried to kill me, and back to the newest goon who saved me.

"What the heck is going on?!"

No one answered me. No sounds even gave me the pity of covering up my question. In fact the entire street had lost the roar of battle, until a howl overpowered everything else.

It took me a solid minute to bring my breathing down from hyperventilating to panicking, before I hazarded a peek to see why no one had said a word.

What I saw left my eyes bulging out of my head. The street would need to be repaved, as furrows and pock marks were dug in its surface. The van, which I hid behind, had a dozen holes covering its surface, compared to the rends and baseball sized holes tearing up the metal exterior of the other vehicles The still bodies of the two wolves, four goons and Viktor peppered the ground. Melanie wrapped herself around the curled up body of her sister. Both looked alive, though alright would be up for debate as cuts and bruises covered their bodies. The goon who saved me stood over them, on alert.

However, none of those held my sight for long. Yang grabbed everyone's eyes. Covered in blood, oozing from dozens of weeping cuts, she raised her weapon aloft, now twisted and bent at an angle. I watched as she bathed in her victory, and threw her head back in a gold curtain. She howled once more.

To be cut short, when Ruby looking none the worse for wear, whacked her sister upside the head. "Now is not the time, we have to clean everything up, and get the heck out of here!"

Yang paused, turning to Ruby, before snorting, her eyes back to their soft lavender. "Talk about a buzz kill."

* * *

 _Author's Note_

 _Phew, deep breath y'all, our hero's safe for now … Right? RIGHT?!_

 _In all honesty this ranks as one of my favorite chapters to write. This is the first time I tried to write anything resembling parahuman abilities, gunfire and raw combat. Most of my fight scenes were written for controlled competition, so this was an enjoyable challenge. I hope the tension, grisly detail, and action hit the right beats for you all._

 _Let me know what you all thought!_

 _Please leave a Follow, Review, and Favorite if you liked my work, it makes me smile._

 _Until next time,_

 _Mkspotlights_


	8. Werewolf Wicked Ch: 8

Will Jaune take a gun, Crocea Mors, will he go with nothing but his noodles he calls arms ?! Guess we shall see.

* * *

Cover Art by: Crashman 42

Editing by: Freckles Fiction

* * *

Werewolf Wicked

Chapter 8

The warfront, swept through the streets of a quiet suburb. Left in its wake were the bodies of the wounded, the acrid stench of burnt propellent mixed with wet dog, and an ocean of blood. Liquid crimson spread across the pavement, melding into a blanket as it mixed from different sources. Life dripped from bodies to form oval mirrors, reflecting a grim survivor tinted in pink. Tattered clothing, soiled gray, hung off of the boy in parts. So did his skin, shining through the openings, raw and still weeping. The worst was the eyes. Hollowed eyes of someone unprepared for the horrors of war. The ghoul's white orbs were filmed over as it compared its surroundings to knowledge learned from cheap films and cheaper novels. It stared back at me, words on its lips.

I couldn't hear it.

My world shook. My brain rattled against the inside of my skull. A ruby red reaper appeared in front of me, jaw chattering. Its scythe, made of machined gunmetal, shone through a leather holster. Thin fingers grabbed me by my neck, the other hand reared back.

I closed my eyes and waited for the inevitable, the pull of a trigger.

Ruby slapped me across the face, instead. The slap brought with it my hearing and stinging, lots of stinging.

"Jaune, snap out of it!" said Ruby, giving me a second shake and a second slap. "Panic later, work now."

My eyes locked back on my reflection. "I'm fine."

"I know you're going through a lot, but we have to restrain these wolves and get them off site before the cops come."

"I'm fine," I repeated as the rest of the sounds flooded back. Their voices weren't jolly.

"Shit, that son of a bitch packed silver."

"Mel, it's okay. I'll heal."

"Junior's gonna have my ass for not taking care of you two."

"Jaune, for the love of-" The third slap rolled my whole body in a wave, before Ruby's hands settled on my cheeks. They were shaking. "Focus, I'll explain what's happening, but I need you to help me, okay?" Her hands shifted to hold both of my hands, before giving up, and pulling me into a crushing hug, her small body vibrating against mine.

When she stepped away, the world still shook.

The shaking was me. "R-Ruby?"

"Let's go. Deep breaths," said Ruby, grabbing my hand and pulling me toward the twins. She scattered bullet shells as we rushed, the clinks enunciated her words. "Ralph, your vehicle good to drive and not bullet filled? Good, grab it, please, and pull up. We'll load up your pack members, before the cops come."

I watched the suited man, identified as our chauffeur by name as nothing else on his person stood out from the other four goons on the ground, nod before he turned and ran down the street.

Ruby neared the twins and took one step too close.

The twins surged to her feet, hands splayed and ready. Miltia's eye twitched when the removal of pressure from her bicep caused the wound to spurt blood. What lay under the dress was a question that brought a tinge of green to my neck more than any arousal.

Her sister didn't make it to her feet. The moment Melanie placed her weight on her left leg, she collapsed to her knees. Spitting and sputtering the twin in white forced her weight on the appendage. When she made it to her feet, her posture slumped to the side, favoring her good leg. A sheen of sweat dripped from her head as she bared teeth almost as white as her face.

Ruby froze where she stood and dropped to a crouch, dragging me with her. Without flinching she waited for the snarling of Melanie to stop, before speaking, "Can your sister change?"

Melanie pushed her sister behind her back.

"Miltia, are you able to make the change? You'll heal faster."

"Back off, bitch," growled Melanie, her eyes burning red. "You think we don't know that."

Ruby bowed her head.

"Shit, shit." Melanie's eyes bore in Ruby's skull. "Hey Mils, can you change?"

I heard a snort as Miltia stepped around her sister. Her slow, deliberate steps, offered a different feel than the levity in her voice. "Who died?"

"Shut up, you idiot. Can you-"

"I can't shut up and answer your question, sis. Relax, I can change, yes. Help me out of this dress and stop glaring at the girl and the human."

Melanie's eyes narrowed, before she guided her sister to the ground, setting at the dress with grim stoicism. Using her fingernails as a knife to rip the clothing, she pulled from her sister's navel, up toward the scoop of her neck, and down to her thighs. Noticing our presence, Melanie looked up. "Get the hell back, a little privacy would be nice."

Ruby got to her feet, and stared at Melanie's chin. "We're going to move the bodies. If she's still bleeding, call me. I'm the medic in our pack."

"Whatever."

Ruby tugged me away, covering up the sound of popping joints and shifting muscles with her own voice, "Okay, Jaune, we're going to check each of these guys."

My hands clenched into fists. My lips cracked and dry, threatened to tear as I said, "The bodies."

"None of them should be dead."

"Impossible."

"They're all Weres. If they aren't dead, they'll eventually get over it. Remember, Werewolves are strong, they're fast, but what defines them out of all the strong and fast creatures is they're tough. If you don't decapitate them or bleed them out, they'll eventually recover."

"I think a couple of them were shot, multiple times."

"No silver, doesn't matter," said Ruby, bending down to pat down one of the suited men. "Here, search their pockets for something to restrain them with. They should have brought something, if they wanted Yang and the twins alive."

It took me several deep breaths and a second attempt, before I could crouch down to one of the men. When I saw his chest move, the fear of their deaths was replaced with fear of my own. My hands moved faster. "Yang smashed one in the head, multiple times."

"Werewolves heal," said Ruby, grinning once she pulled out a pair of handcuffs from one of the goon's pockets. "This'll do. Check your guy's left front pocket."

I did as I was told, ignoring the feeling of warm flesh and warmer blood under my fingertips. I jumped when the kiss of cool metal touched my fingers. Removing my hand as quickly as possible, I followed Ruby on the process of handcuffing a person, struggling to get the dead weight of two limbs to stay close enough together so I could attach the restraining device. She made it look easy.

Smoke rose the moment contact was made alongside the smell of burnt flesh. How I knew what burnt flesh smelled like left me shivering. The body on the ground spasmed. I quickly scrambled away, but after a few seconds of twitching the Were stilled, settled back into unconsciousness, though his wrists started to look grisly as blackened skin cracked and seeped from the area around the handcuffs.

I knew the metal. "Silver."

"Probably reinforced with a harder metal, but yeap, that's silver."

"Are… Are they going to be alright?" I asked, needing to take slow breaths to avoid the greasy smell that coated my nose and throat.

"Serves them right, they were going to use that on Yang," said Ruby, her face showing the first hint of a snarl, before shaking her head. "They'll live. Do a quick search for weapons, then get the others. We don't have time."

"Speaking of..." I said, pivoting my head to look for the tall blonde. I hadn't seen her since she howled.

"She's checking the area."

Checking for what? The idea circled around in my head of what exactly transpired. We had a shootout in the middle of a street with giant monsters in open display. Who could have seen what happened? What was Yang checking for?

Ruby stopped frisking the next pair of goons to watch me step back. "Jaune, I give you my word, Yang is looking for other things that could be dangerous. More Weres, other unsavory things, stuff like that. Your friends are fine. The Veil should have done its job."

"It didn't do its job for me or for that kid."

"Children are special, but most adults should have seen a freakishly big dog. The reports will be filled with gangsters with guns, but nothing supernatural."

"I could see it."

"You know what to look for," said Ruby, pausing in her work once she saw my face. "Listen, Jaune. You remember what I told you about the Veil."

"It's basically magic. Magic that keeps you hidden."

"Weres get it from their bonds, the power of a collective. They call it pack magic, and all Weres have it. Besides connecting the individuals to the pack, it gives Weres small gifts."

"Werewolves can cast magic?"

"An Alpha can take power from all his wolves to heal and change faster. An individual can make humans mistake their wolf for a big dog and if there is enough of the pack, they can cast silence."

"You're awfully informative now."

"You know why."

I did, but it didn't mean I liked the reason. Ruby kept her lips pursed, even as I could hear the faint sounds of sirens drawing closer, until I nodded.

"The Veil as a whole does its job," said the girl as she got back to work.

"What if someone saw?"

"Jaune-"

"What if, Ruby? What if?"

Ruby met my eyes as she pulled the gun out of Viktor's holster. "We don't kill people."

I knew Ruby wasn't supernatural, I knew eye contact meant nothing. She could lie if she wanted to, but I liked to think I could read her. I liked to think she told the truth and meant it.

"Okay, okay, what's next?" I said, handcuffing the last goon as Ruby followed through with Viktor. I owed Ruby at least this much.

A honk sounded behind me and I jumped, being so caught up with Yang murdering any witnesses.

"We load up the car, Yang should be safe, and Miltia should be done soon," said Ruby, dragging one of the goons into the open door, courtesy of Ralph.

I tried to follow her lead, but moving at least 170 lbs of dead weight was harder than it looked. I was coming to find that Ruby made many things look easy. As I struggled, half debating to drop the man and leave him on the side of the road as a self deserved punishment, the weight lightened. With a hand on each of the man's ankles, Ralph nodded and lifted.

With his help, we were able to get the body into the car and was just as quickly pushed aside as Ruby shoved the third goon onto the plush leather interior. Junior would have to get it cleaned, if he was still alive. Ralph, the chauffeur and the reserved Werewolf, turned and ran back, dragging the last Were in one hand and Viktor in the other.

"Thanks," I said, before he could turn and make another trip.

"They're still my pack," said Ralph as he turned and went to lift one of the downed wolves. By their size, they had to weigh at least several hundred pounds, but Ralph bent down and lifted them in his arms as if dead weight and bulk weren't issues. He shot the man in cold blood, but Ralph's look was tender and far more intimate than I've ever seen one adult give another, while not in a relationship. "Even if they're misguided idiots."

The blare of a siren drew closer and if my human hearing could pick it up, I knew we were very close to out of time. Ruby reached into her pocket, pulled out her scroll, and punched in a number. The person on the other side picked up on the first ring.

"We need a clean up, lots of blood, fur, and other evidence that the Police can't find." Ruby began a quick rundown of what happened, followed by the address. "I can pay you. Rather, I can get my dad to pay you once all of this is over. Yes, of course I called you, I don't know any other people in this city, let alone a witch." Ruby waited, listening before her eyes widened. "If that is your request, I can pledge a favor owed."

I heard a laugh from where I stood. When Ruby bit her lip I knew it was bad, when she looked at me I knew it was bad, for me. Without any further words exchanged, Ruby slowly walked closer as if I would bolt at the slightest wrong move, and offered me the scroll. When I heard who was on the other side, perhaps she had guessed right.

In perfect, crisp enunciation, the Wizard said, " _Good evening, Mr. Arc. I suppose you have had a busy day_."

A look up proved it really was reaching the evening. It also proved I was stalling. "Busy wouldn't be the first word I would call it."

" _You have a mess that needs to be cleaned up_?"

"You already knew that."

Ozpin didn't respond. The sirens drew closer and I imagined I would be able to hear the screeching of brakes soon.

"What do you want? Money, free drinks, my kidneys? " I asked, my words harsher than what would be appropriate for a man who scared the Werewolves.

" _I do not need gold, nor do I thirst, and blood is not a power I work with_."

I could hear the sirens like they were right behind me or it could have been the warning alarm in my brain. "What do you want from me that you did not want from Ruby?"

" _I have no intention of having the daughter of the Dragon and the niece of the Carrion Crow in my debt. I am not such a foolish or greedy man. You, however, have no ties. No backing, not yet_."

"So you want me?"

" _A debt from you to me, yes_."

"Why couldn't you have just asked for me to owe you one?" I asked, my voice rising in octaves as I saw the group of Weres rushing around the street.

" _Do you accept?_ "

"What choice do I have?"

Ozpin, the Wizard, repeated himself. He paused after every word. " _Do. You. Accept?_ "

"Yes, fine, whatever. I accept. I'll owe you a favor, just make sure the people in the area are safe from stumbling into things they shouldn't and whatever Ruby asked of you is taken care of. I don't want anyone else getting involved."

" _The deal is done, Mr. Arc. I will see to it that your request is fulfilled. Do not worry about the sirens nearing you, I will handle it. A compatriot of mine will ensure no evidence will be left for humans to find. Anyone who arrives after my ally will see nothing but a turf war between gangs turned into a violent shootout, though I cannot say the same about witnesses_."

I wondered how he could hear the sirens, or knew guns were fired, I was too overpowered by sheer relief. It was quickly squashed when I comprehended his last sentence. In the end progress was progress. "Thank you."

There was a sharp inhale of breath on the line. Then a chuckle that broke into a laugh and ended with an uproar. I could almost hear the man wiping a tear from his eye when he spoke, " _Oh, you should not have said that_."

The line went dead before I could ask why.

It didn't matter, I didn't have the time to ponder what I agreed to anyway. I threw Ruby the scroll as I turned and ran through a grass lawn. _Ruby wouldn't kill people_. I pushed toward the house and twisted the doorknob, snapping the hinge as the wooden door collapsed behind me. _Yang didn't kill people_. My feet found the staircase, taking two steps at a time as my body slammed into the final barrier separating Nora's room from the hallway. The door was locked. _The Wizard killed people_. Balled fists rapped against the baby blue door, staining its surface with two sets of tiny red dots. The carelessness for human life, by Beacon, told me I had to do what I could. Wooden boards creaked as someone drew closer on the other side.

I knocked harder. "Ren! Nora!"

The door pulled away from my hand and I lurched forward, expecting door where now there was open space. I should have expected the result, but honestly, I was not in the right state of mind. I took two steps past the border of Nora's home and met the pair who watched me with wide eyes. I watched back, checking them for any damage, any harm, and more importantly any recognition of what exactly happened outside their house. I only saw concern.

"Jaune, are you okay?" asked Ren.

"There were gunshots," said Nora.

"I'm fine, for now," I said, choosing to acknowledge the easiest statement. I don't think they believed me. For a moment I wondered what I looked like through the pin dots their eyes had become. I imagined I looked crazed, with my battered clothes and muck covered skin. As if my attention brought my pain to the forefront, I felt waves of throbbing spikes from points where the road tore through clothes. My palms, knees, arms, and part of my side synchronized in beat to stab my brain with needles as the rest of my body started to itch. I would need a shower, or several, before I felt the least bit human.

"You are bleeding everywhere."

"Did you get in a fight with a blender? I knew you wear threadbare clothes, but right now you look like hamburger."

"I'll be okay, I promise. I can tell you don't believe me, but just know that most of it is surface stuff. I'm sore, really tired, but I'm okay."

"In that case, I should have no guilt sending you our cleaning bill," said Ren, pointing to the trail of red dots, tracing my path across their manilla carpet. "I hope my front door is still standing."

"I'm sorry," I said, feeling a weight leave my shoulders as the sounds of sirens approached and continued past the street.

"You better be. Do you know long it took Renny and me to decorate this place? Months," said Nora, poking a finger through one of the holes in my jacket, stabbing at a relatively undamaged part of my belly.

"I'll pay you back."

"Eh well, don't worry about it, I've been looking at changing it to be fluffier and pink. Besides, you already owe me for the tape recordings, Mister."

Ren faked a laugh and I started at the inside of my cheek. They were safe. They deserved an explanation. How much could I tell them? If anything happened to them, I knew I was the cause. The crunch of tires on gravel and the gentle pop of a door told me I had run out of time.

"Listen, about what happened," I said.

"I don't want to know," said Ren.

"I'm being serious. You deserve an explanation-"

Ren cut me off by raising his hand. In a cool and measured voice he said, "I don't know what happened."

"Ren…"

"I was in Nora's room, with the blinds closed. She was unconscious at the time so my attention was fully focused on her."

"I want to-" began Nora, before Ren's hand covered her mouth.

"She woke up after everything occured."

Nora continued to speak, her words muffed by the blockage.

"We don't know what happened."

I wasn't a Were, but from Nora's narrowed eyes, I assumed it was a lie. The weight pressing down on my shoulders lifted completely, a knot in my stomach left in its wake, reminding me how easily the danger could return. "Thank you, Ren, I mean it."

Ren smiled and for the first time today it felt natural. "Why don't you come in and get patched up?"

I smiled back and shook my head. "I can't."

"I see, you still have to continue your job for Marcus's friend?"

I nodded.

"I would offer help, but I have a distinct feeling you would have to lie again."

Words were already on my lips.

Ren shook his head. "Just stay safe."

"I will."

"I think, Nora and I will be going out for a drink later tonight. Can I expect you to have seats for us?"

I laughed because if I didn't, I wouldn't have been able to add truth to my words. "I will."

Nora pulled me into a hug and I returned it. When she pulled away something cool and smooth was placed into my hand. She grinned. "Take my bat for your problems, that aren't problems Renny and I should know about. I expect you to bring it back!"

"I will," I said, wrapping my hands around the wound taped up grip. Like everything related to Nora, there were decals of pink. "Thank you guys, seriously."

Nora winked, patted me on the shoulder, and pushed me out of the room. The door slammed shut and I heard her muffled voice through the wooden grain. "Ohh, Renny, I'm unconscious, you'll have to wake me up with a kiss, once again!"

"Once again, implies a first time," said Ren.

I stepped down the staircase and walked through the disheveled shop. I'd pay them back, even if I ate instant noodles for the rest of the month. I'd tell them the truth one day, I owe them that. Lastly, I'll survive. Funny thing with dealing with all these supernatural creatures, I've learned to listen better. Ren told me he was coming to my bar, he implied if I wasn't there he'd be out looking. I would make sure to live because if I didn't, they would die as well.

Some friend I turned out to be.

When I stepped out onto the grass lawn I smelled ozone, lavender, and blood. Then the force hit me.

I stumbled backward. The zing of electricity ran through my body. I could taste the smells, as much sense as that made. Sparks of color popped across my vision, twirling in a flash of purple and white. Just as quickly, it was gone, pushing past me toward the house.

Like a wave I couldn't see. Energy pushed across the damaged streets and I watched as blood lifted off the pavement and evaporated. Clumps of flesh and fur bundled into a ball and drifted toward the center of the ripple. The center being a woman with platinum blonde hair, a business suit, and a worn, leather hat.

The Wizard had sent a witch. I watched magic.

Finally, something was going my way. I stepped toward the woman, scary as she might be. I needed to make sure she got all the bits of 'evidence'.

An arm shot out, grabbed me by the shoulder, and pulled me close. Yang shook her head. "Stay."

"I'm just going to tell her where to look." _Maybe she could fix the door and I wouldn't have to buy one._

"Stay." She repeated again, her voice turning deep.

That was when I started to use my eyes. "Are you okay?" Yang looked worse than when I last saw her. The wounds may have stopped bleeding, but they were scabbed over and grisly. Extra bits of skin hung in tatters, or that could have been her clothes. The blonde looked gaunt as if she had lost weight since the very morning I saw her, the clothing hung limply off her limbs. Her focus changed my thoughts. "Is she okay?"

Ruby stepped closer to the two of us, placed both hands on the knot Yang had made in my hoodie, and unwound the fingers. "Jaune, I need you to step behind Yang."

Werewolves were terrifying, but Glynda, the Good Witch, scared them.

Ruby pulled me behind Yang's back and pressed her lips to my ear. "She's a cleaner. You need to not draw attention to yourself right now."

"If she's here to clean up the mess, we should point out where the mess is," I said.

"Do it and you put a red arrow above your head, screaming 'mess' in bold letters."

My retort clicked shut and I peeked out to have a second glance at our witch. Her body posture seemed relaxed, but only in the way someone pretends to be interested when they're getting hit on, while sending signals to their friend for help. The secret was in the shoulders, they were drawn tight and balled as the woman paced up and down the street.

"What I did earlier needed to happen, Viktor came for a fight and we couldn't let a fight drag on. They could call more pack. I had to alert the humans, but the Midnight World must stay hidden," said Ruby as I stared. "Witches are good cleaners, they work on mind and body. Blood is trivially easy to clean. Memories simple to alter. But if someone knows too much for too long or has brought too much risk..."

She trailed off, but I didn't need the rest of the sentence. "I thought she was called the _Good_ Witch."

"Good can be highly subjective. At least, that is what your friend is trying to imply," said Glynda.

We both stiffened and turned to face the woman who came to 'help' us.

"Are you finished with the street?" Yang asked.

"I am," Glynda said.

"Then you can leave."

"Are you attempting to command me like one of the wolves, Ms. Xiao Long?"

Yang's back tightened and she stood straighter. Her voice had dropped to a flat neutral and I wondered where her eyes focused on. "No, I am merely saying that if what we requested is done, you have no reason to stay here."

"I did not say I have cleaned all the evidence."

I felt a weight bump into my leg as I debated where this path was going down. I didn't think I was going to die, at least by Glynda's hand. I owed Ozpin a favor, as much as that caused terror to consider, but his compatriot wouldn't kill me and waste the debt. Would she? The thought itself made me pause to address the bumping, now rapid brushing against my leg.

When the sound of fur brushing turned into painful whacks, I looked down and almost soiled my pants. The first reason I didn't need to borrow a pair of jeans from Ren is because the Werewolf at my side didn't reach my waist like the others, rather this one was only to my knees, its body leaner than the other Weres I've seen. More husky and timbre wolf, than mutant bear animal. The second reason was the wolf pouted instead of looking like it wanted to eat me. How a wolf could express a pout was beyond me, but this one stared back at me with all the attitude in the world with its white eyes.

Its fur gave it away. "Miltia?"

The wolf shook its ruddy red fur, sending a ripple of black, as hints of its undercoat peeked out. Four white paws, looking like she had stepped into a can of paint, stretched outward, as the wolf sneezed.

"Gesundheit?"

The Were rolled its eyes and nodded.

"You look better. I thought your leg was hurt."

Miltia pulled her left paw close to her body and whimpered as she spun in a circle, her muzzle chasing after her tail.

"It was your other leg."

The Werewolf, having just been stabbed and had several broken bones in human form, winked.

"Stop playing around, Miltia. We need to go," said Melanie.

Miltia huffed, and dropped her paw to the ground.

I met Melanie's eyes for a second, and dropped it to her chin, The twin in white looked calmer, but if Ruby decided to play it safe, I would as well, especially since the twins had interrupted the conversation to come to my aid. Changing subjects with humor was a bartender's specialty.

Melanie repeated, turning to align herself with Yang, "We need to go."

"Yes, I suppose you do," said Glynda, the barest lift of her lip, telling me she found us amusing. "I have done what was requested and I do not see fault in your actions. I sense no other witnesses and no evidence will be found by the police." Glynda had been staring at me when she said the last sentence, but her eyes shifted toward Yang.

Yang said, "This was no small magic."

"Cleaning?"

"No, removing the blood and meat at the speed you worked should not be possible without feeding on the suffering."

"What are you implying?"

"You are not a black witch, I would be able to smell you. No white witch could do what you did."

"Witchcraft works with blood, pain, and suffering. It does not have to come from the victim," said Glynda, answering neither statements. "Vale's pack is held responsible for the mistakes today and punishments must be dealt."

"We planned on it," said everybody, who could, but me.

 _Who the heck was included in the 'we'?_

"Good. Feed before you go," Glynda said.

Yang stiffened. "Now, you command me?"

"Healing, requires food and I do not want to come and clean up that mess. You will fuel up before facing the Alpha, or you will not be strong enough to challenge."

There was a standoff as the crowd processed her words. I was thinking about the first sentence, I wagered everyone else focused on the second.

Yang scrubbed at her face. When her hand left her face she looked years older. "I appreciate the assistance here. Witnesses would not have benefited either party."

Glynda's eyes swept over the group one last time. "Good."

She was gone after that.

Not in any puff of smoke, spark of magic, or change of shape. Glynda 'The Good Witch', turned to walk down the now spotless pavement, her heels clicked as she opened the door of her tiny vehicle, and she drove away at exactly five miles under the speed limit.

~/~

It turns out Werewolves, always packed a change of clothes.

Dressed in unisex sets of gray sweatpants that smothered Melanie and sat tightly on Yang's bones, they watched me with a dangerous stillness. I probably looked like a chronic addict, rather than an angsty teenager. My jeans were salvageable, but my hoodie had to be scrapped. Blood and open tears, showing more blood underneath did not bode well for subtlety. I had stolen one of the goon's shirts that was roughly my size, though it sat a little wide on the shoulders. Red wasn't my color, but it hid the blood staining the fabric around a pinky sized hole. A bullet hole.

I coughed once into the crook of my arm as I found the courage to confirm the success of my task. I raised my arms, showing the six sacks I held in both hands. "Uhm, who wanted the bacon burger?"

I tried not to scream when the bags vanished from my hands. Each of the Weres were already face deep into the paper wrapped sandwiches. Ketchup flew and mustard splattered. Ruby had the decency to unwrap hers before setting at the food, with the same savagery. Sixty burgers fell, their numbers dropping by the second.

Next time, someone else would get the food. I almost lost a finger.

Watching grease and gristle spill from their mouths, made any rumbling in my stomach vanish. It left me tired, scared and sore. I settled on picking at a pack of fries. I nibbled, letting the rest of the world drift in. A car parked two stalls away from us as the driver got out and opened the passenger door. They were dating or at least very close as the rider exited, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed the other woman on the lips. They laughed as they walked hand in hand into one of Vale's best burger joints. The normalcy of the actions gave me a headache and a desire to be a part of it.

I ate here all the time, but leaning against a stretch limo's long body without brushing any road rash as Werewolves fed themselves so they could heal, was never a consideration on prior trips. I tried to smile when I met the eyes of a group of kids, who kept sneaking glances at our group. They didn't smile back, instead they huddled together and whispered.

A whine and a swat brought my eyes down.

"Alright, I wasn't that hungry anyway," I said, dropping my half eaten fry and setting at unwrapping sandwiches.

Miltia at least waited until I set the burgers to the ground before swallowing them whole.

After unwrapping six burgers, I finally asked, "How did this escalate into a full on fight? I thought we had promised that we would watch the tapes before we escalated anything?"

The Weres heard me, super hearing and all that, but Ruby answered, "You said Junior's alive, right? If that's the case, his word should still have been law as second."

"Unless, someone with more authority overrode him."

"His word would still reflect back on to the pack. However, if he wasn't a part of the pack anymore…"

"They could claim the oath was made only by him."

"The pack wouldn't be bound."

"But why? I don't get it. They had me locked in by my own words. What was the point of attacking us if at least until we reached a decision with the tapes?"

"Maybe, the Alpha didn't want to risk losing?"

"No, the human bought you more time, but he never swore us to passivity." Melanie said, through a bite of burger, "If the tapes failed, we would have attacked. It was the plan."

Ruby narrowed her eyes. "Then what's the plan now?"

"Hell if I know." Melanie shrugged. "Mils doesn't know either, but my best guess is our Alpha listened too hard to Viktor's babbling. That scumbag always wanted Junior's spot."

Miltia's growls echoed the statement.

"That doesn't add up, Junior's the Alpha's son. Shouldn't there be some trust there?" I asked.

"Packs don't work the same everywhere. In our pack on Patch, that would be the case. But in others, it's not unusual for seconds to kill Alphas at the slightest sign of weakness," said Ruby.

"Would Junior?" No one around the car could deny my statement. "Let me get this straight, we have an incident between two packs of Werewolves, where the daughters of one Alpha caused or were assaulted in the territory of the other. Not to mention there might be some underlying social maneuvering going on, with liberal amounts of back talking and back stabbing?"

"That's about right."

"Great, just perfect," I said, ignoring the the wet tongue licking the salt off my fingers. "Does it even matter who started the fight at The Club, anymore?"

Yang answered, "If we had facts, it would help our case when we talk with the Alpha, but if we stepped into a coup, I doubt it matters much."

"Ozpin mentioned that Vale couldn't handle an all out war with your father's pack. Could we use that?"

"Depends, is your Alpha sane?" Yang asked, shifting her gaze toward Melanie.

"He's eccentric," Melanie said. "But that's all old wolves, they get weirder over time or they stay the same and everything else gets weird. He's been around for a long time and he's always been a person who would do anything to keep his power. He's never been full crazy though, couldn't be to control all of Vale."

Yang's eyes slid lazily over to me. "There you go, control freak, but not a full blown crazy Alpha. If he thinks he can kill my dad, which he can't, he'd take the risk. If he thinks he can't, he might just do it anyway."

"For what?"

"Females." Yang slid back to a straight posture, her hands didn't stop funneling food to her face, but she didn't seem to be enjoying it anymore. "Females don't survive the change well. In a pack of thirty it'll be lucky to have two females. We're treated like treasures, locked away to be stared at."

I saw Yang grind out the last words and had to wonder. Why indeed did Ruby and Yang come to Vale? If females were so rare, I doubt anybody, let alone their dad, would send them out to a different city to run errands. Then again, I had moved out from my parents the first second I could. Werewolves, it turned out, went through puberty as well.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, just laughing about our terrible situations." It wasn't the full truth and Yang's eyes still narrowed, but I continued on before she could comment. "What about running away? We could just leave. I could head back home and so could you and Ruby, until everything blows over."

The wolf licking my fingers and the twin to my right stiffened.

"We can't," Ruby said, brooking no argument.

"I know," I sighed, setting at the fries again, my hunger overpowering any squeamish feelings of my brain. "I know, I'm just tired. Is it too much to hope we could run away and forget about it?"

The twins slowly returned to eating.

I knew I couldn't. I was too involved. My brain pushed through the fog of sleep deprivation to try and grasp where we stood. "How are you all healing?"

No one responded.

"Okay, I know we're all trying to pretend not to be in pain, due to machismo or something, so let me start. I'm ripped up, my eyes are barely staying open, and my shoulder is throbbing like a bi-" I cut the word off before I could slip. "Like a big, angry, Werewolf shaped stick hit me. I want to go home, but even if I survive this supernatural drama, I still have to go to work. The least you could do is get us all up to date."

"Yang's healing, no silver wounds, so after this meal she should be up to par. Lots of broken things and cuts, but nothing calories and time won't fix." Ruby grinned, gesturing to the group. "Jaune's right. If we are going in together, we could at least consider each other allies."

"Speaking of silver. Viktor's knife was silver right?"

A flick and a shimmering object the size of the tip of my thumb flew at me. When I opened it up I saw an object I never wished to hold. A gray bullet

"He had silver bullets too. Why he used the knife is beyond me, but I'll be keeping those, especially since they fit," Ruby said.

"Lack of training," said Yang.

"A gun wouldn't have helped in such a close distance," Melanie growled.

"He could have used it many times before that."

Then it clicked. I said, "Yang's right; Viktor carried silver, he used it too. Viktor was ready for casualties."

"We kind of knew that with all his boys and the two wolves, blondie."

"No, no, I meant he was ready for the possibility of killing someone. He used it on Miltia sure, but it could have easily been on Yang. In fact the other idiots all fired openly."

"Your point?"

"If females were the goal, they wouldn't have been ready to kill."

A round of eyes, looking to one another for a rebuttal, occurred. When no one could respond Yang sighed, "You're right, it doesn't matter though."

"They have Junior, we're going," Melanie said.

A thump from under me echoed her statement. Ralph nodded.

"If we leave, we'll have an entire pack searching the neighborhood for us. Even in defense we harmed the pack. They'll look weak if they let us go," Ruby said.

Yang added, "Though I kicked their asses, the twins aren't half bad fighters. With them cut off, they don't have to follow their Alpha anymore and unless we want to plead to the Vamps or Fae, they're the best allies we can get."

My head thunked into the polished vehicle and I groaned. "And so we willingly set off the trap."

An itch continued to crawl across my brain, I knew something was wrong and I couldn't place it. I was too sore to think.

"Think of it more like we're walking into a caged fight, where our opponents are already waiting for us."

"Except they'll have guns, swords, and I have a bat."

"Well…" said Ruby.

"No." I raised my hand the moment I saw hers lifting the matte black handle of Viktor's gun. "No, I've never shot before. I'm just as likely to shoot my own foot than to injure an attacker."

Ruby frowned, but tossed the weapon back into the sack of confiscated items. Instead she pulled out a different weapon.

I stared at the cylinder of black wood, peeking out from a leather sheath, I knew covered a shining gray blade. I recognized it, I could never forget it, though I would always remember it buried up to its hilt through a girl's arm.

"Take it, I'll keep the ammunition, but you'll need silver. A bat could break a Were's neck, but if it fails you'll want a backup. All you need for a knife is to point the pointed end away from you and toward the bad guy."

I swallowed the lump in my throat and reached out for the weapon. Once the handle lay fully in my hand I saw the slight shivering as the tip matched my fear. I didn't want it. I didn't want any of this situation, but I was here and my goal hasn't changed. I pulled the blade from the sheate and stared at the child reflected through the metal. He was ready.

"Thanks." I said.

Ruby smiled. A soft smile that raised only the tips of her lips as she met my eyes. "Don't thank me yet."

We threw away the trash, piled into the stretch limo, and drove to meet the big boss of the Werewolves.

* * *

Author's Note

Okay, long chapter, but important. Now thier off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of oz- wait. Wrong world.

Ehem.

Next chapter we got the Alpha, stay tuned and see how our bartender will screw that up.

Please Follow, Review, or Favorite if you liked my work, it makes me smile.

Until next time,

Mkspotlights


	9. Werewolf Wicked Ch: 9

_Oh boy looks like my unlucky numbers are 8 and 9._

 _Looking at reviews I seem to have not clearly explained Jaune's talents and abilities in this fic. I thought he has had agency and has actively contributed to victories, but maybe this didn't convey well. I don't think I made Jaune too much of a pacifict, he took a bat and knife, just not the gun, but maybe that's because where I live we don't have much gun violence. We have toooons of knife and blunt weapon assaults, but rarely gun shots. Hmm, Author's bias there? Food for thought._

 _I will try to rectify those issues as we go along._

 _On why I wrote this story in first person? Well, because I wanted experience in writing in first. I probably could have done this in third and I definitely have not used first as well as I could, but I have learned a lot so far!_

 _On with the show!_

* * *

 _Cover Art by: Crashman42_

 _Editing by: Freckles Fiction_

* * *

Werewolf Wicked

Chapter 9

The second drive to The Club within the same day, brought back unpleasant memories.

The idea of facing the worst the Werewolves had to offer didn't bode well for any chance of survival, but I was done with this whole situation. Maybe, it was the constant threat on my life, the ache of my bones, or the amount of adrenaline that had run its course through my system, but as the car halted to a stop, my heart beat in a steady rhythm. My shoulders sagged, a yawn pulled from my lips, and I prepared myself.

Perhaps, it was the people in the car. Miltia looked up from her position on my lap, my fingers slipping from the spot between her ears as she stared up at me. How the morning's enemies became the afternoon's allies, or something like that. A wolfish grin parted her lips, spilling a long tongue to drop past her chin. When I asked why she had seemed so attached or rather so friendly all of a sudden, no one wanted to answer. Ruby put it simply as Wolves were more honest. I had no idea what she meant. A whine from Miltia, pulled me from my thoughts and I smiled. When Weres weren't howling mad they looked kind of cute, in the same way a bear looked cute before it ate a person. I patted her once across the top of her head and snuck a glance at everyone else in the vehicle, noting I definitely had burned out my fear meter.

Ruby sat side by side with Melanie as they chatted about gardening of all things. Ruby's hands flew wildly as she discussed the intricacies of growing herbs within the confines of the city, while Melanie explained how she had come up with the perfect blend of humus to feed her wide variety of roses. They both had the serene aura around them that only conversation of such a simple topic could bring, I ignored the weaponry sitting across their laps.

Yang had fallen asleep. Her hands, tucked themselves easily into her armpits as her head bowed and leaned against one shoulder. A small bead of drool slid from the corner of her mouth and down to the thigh of her borrowed sweats, leaving a growing wet spot. Her chest moved up and down in a gentle rhythm. How she had been able to fall asleep when last time we had ridden she hadn't been able to lean back was a statement to how tired she felt or how much Yang trusted the group now.

I bet it was a little bit of both. "We're here."

"Yeap, we're here," said Yang without opening her eyes.

With a healthy dose of groaning I stood from the sinfully soft leather. My spine and knees popped in complaint. My body commanded me to sit down and my brain agreed; I stepped outside to the last dregs of orange, which fought against the purple and black of night. The rest of our band followed suit, with less complaining, until we stood at the front entrance of The Club's brick structure. Two shut doors greeted us with a wooden sign hung across one knob, reading "Closed for renovations" in golden script. No Werewolves came out to great us. No gunfire sounded at our approach.

Yang yawned, Miltia ran her nose across the ground, Melanie worked at strapping on a new pair of wickedly spiked boots, and Ruby rocked easily from her heel to the ball of her foot and back. They all acted without a care for the fact, in just a few moments, we would be raiding the home turf of super human gangsters. These people were the mafia on steroids and to challenge them we had six people, if I included myself.

Granted, one in our group had claws as long as my forearm, while three others could smash through cars with their bare hands, I would know, I saw it happen. The last of the group of strangers turned allies would put a special forces operative to shame. In a red jacket and a pair of cargo shorts, Ruby, who still looked fresh, proved she could handle herself so long as she had her gun in hand. Then there was myself. I could barely stand against a stiff breeze, with knobby knees, and torn skin. I knew I couldn't punch on the same tier as any of the group, heck I couldn't even shoot a gun with any sort of confidence, but I wouldn't go down without a lot of thrashing. Fat lot of good my struggles would do against a pack full of people like Yang.

I would have to stick to the plan. A sigh escaped my lips at that consideration, the plan had never been very complicated and this wrench hadn't changed that. I would have to be very lucky.

Me, a pink bat, and a silver knife, against the world. "Where is everyone? I thought we would be surrounded by now."

"Inside, they'll know we're here since we brought Viktor and the rest with us," said Melanie, tapping the heel of her boot across the ground, with a ring of metal. "Ralph, stay here and watch them. Make sure they don't do anything stupid."

Our group dropped to five. "They expected us to be chained up, can we use that?"

"Not likely. If any of the idiots in the car are awake, they'll be able to tell the Alpha. If they aren't, then someone's going to wonder why." Miltia whined, dragging her claws across the ground, first in a one-two sound and second a scrabble of all four of her paws. Melanie nodded. "At least there's some good news. Mils doesn't smell any other Wolves, so unless they're all hiding in wait, we're dealing with the human shape."

"Enough talking, we should go," said Yang, still with her eyes closed. With a deep breath she strode forward, the hitch in her step gone, replaced with a long, confident stride.

Ruby met my eyes, a grin on her face, that quickly melted into a blank mask. Without a word she blinked twice, drew her gun, and followed after her sister.

We all followed after, pushing past the wooden doors into a hallway of mirrors. At least the designer had tried their best at it. Shards of the crystalline material littered the floor to the point where the hardwood surface had a layer of glass separating it from our feet. The large walls held corner pieces of what once had to have been a sprawling glass pane. The fastening brackets stuck out from the plain avocado green paint, where a long mirror would have been. Now all that remained where the chunks of glass still attached to the brackets, leaving it an ugly contrast to the cherry wood floor. Overhead were dozens of more panels, all reflecting back, except for several black spots. I imagined a small object shattering those pieces, something like a bullet.

The crunching of glass matched our march as Yang led the group without a care. Ruby followed and I timed my step to be exactly two behind her. I had made it ten steps, half the length of the hallway, before I spun on my heel, words on my lips. Miltia ignored my concern and stepped in line with her sister. I wondered if Weres had reinforced paws, until my eyes trailed after a track of four red prints. Melanie shook her head and turned me around.

At this point I could hear soft crooning, a gentle fluttering of noise, before the artist held the last note to stand on its own. A flutter, a crash and a string instrument were joined by the ditty of keys. I could hear the pianist sample a few notes, dipping his toes in the water, before they jumped in with a thundering of keys, mixed with the warble of a bow on strings. The duet of instruments played as we walked, fading back to the gentle rocking it had started with as we neared the end. The crooning continued on. I would not have placed classical music to be at a club.

Yang pushed open the door. Beams of light flashed, Melanie steadied a hand on my shoulder to guide me forward or I would have wandered blind. Spots of color, popped across my eyes as I winced when the roaming spotlights found me again. The music swelled in the interior of the room. From the way it bounced and echoed, I knew it was a huge area, it fit the image I had from my occasional trips here. No crowded, messy hallways or old mildewy carpets, we stood where the majority of people experienced Vale's nightlife, the face of The Club.

Blinking away the last of the spots, I saw the damage first. Where clear steps lead up to one of the many dance floors made entirely of glass, flanked by matching columns, stood a wrapped up mess. Caution tape, wooden danger signs and glittering pieces, sat where I once danced away one of my few nights I forced myself to forget. One of the pillars was missing a third of its side, an empty black tube left in its place. I wondered if someone had been thrown into it.

I saw the Werewolves next. Once my eyes swept over one, I wondered how I hadn't seen them all. They filled the rooms, hundreds of them, in every seat, couch and standing room. They could have filled the club to its max capacity on their own. I scrubbed an arm across my face and they vanished, reduced to a less impossible amount. I counted about twenty, but every time I reached a lap of the floor I had to restart as each Were had the presence of several more. I settled on an even twenty, twenty Werewolves with each wearing a black suit, black shirt, and red tie. Not a single one moved.

The air felt stiff and though I didn't meet any of the Weres in the eye I could feel them tracking me, tracking the rest of the group as we walked. I didn't feel magic, not that I had much experience. It felt more like the weight of attention, like I had to do a class presentation, but worse. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up.

Yang ignored them all and walked down the steps, into an empty pit that surrounded the elevated stage, and toward a single bar. I recognized the man there, his hands slowly pouring out a bottle of Terroir gin. He held it out for three seconds before lifting a bottle of vermouth for a half second. The man's hands moved to the mixing spoon, grasping the tip with his pointer and thumb before placing its long stem under the middle and over his ring finger. The bar spoon aligned perfectly with a set of calluses.

They matched my own.

Junior's steady hands showed nothing of the ugly purple and dripping sweat covering his face. We moved closer as Junior twirled his fingers twenty times around clockwise. We reached the bar when he was at fifteen turns in the opposite direction.

When the man's eyes didn't lift from his work, Yang leaned closer to speak, her voice soft and barely above a whisper. "Junior?"

The spoon completed twenty counterclockwise twirls.

"I'd appreciate it if you'd say something, because if this is a big joke or a ploy to get us here, I'll be very, very upset."

The spoon removed itself and a julep strainer took its place. A thin glass was set nearby.

Yang's fists slammed into the countertop, rattling the glasses and warping the stream of clear liquid pouring from his mixer into the wide brimmed cup and narrow stemmed cousin of the cocktail glass. A single stray drop hit the black table, marring an otherwise perfect mix.

I knew the glass just like I knew the cocktail it shared a name with, a martini. I didn't know the man Junior passed the drink to, however. Yang stiffened, she hadn't seen him either.

Thin and tall, like me, but he wore his frame like a businessman and I a teenager in the customer service business. The man adjusted the cufflinks on his pressed, white button up, before he reached for his glass. Using the tips of his pointer and ring fingers, he slid the completed drink in front of him. The gray in his eyes shone a bright silver as the stage lights reflected off the clear drink.

He carried himself like someone important, but nothing in me set off alarms. The man sat perfectly in the middle of eye catching and boring, but his clothes were top of the line, expensive, and custom made. I wouldn't watch him when I served, nor would I completely forget about him either. Who was he? I had a guess, but it didn't fit exactly.

"Who are you?" asked Yang.

The young man ate the olive in one bite, placing the spear of wood lightly on the white napkin offered by Junior. Only then did he turn to face us. From the front, I saw a fresh face young man who smiled. "Hello, I welcome you three to The Club. May I order you all something to drink?"

"Three?" Yang's eyes swept over our group as if to confirm we hadn't disappeared. "Why don't you answer my question, kid?"

"Nothing? If you're sure," said the man, ignoring Yang's question once again to look into Junior's dripping face. "Your drinks are wonderful as always. I just wished you weren't a failure in other places." He turned back to us. "However, I am glad to see you all made it here in the end."

I had begun to put the pieces together, through the fluff and the pandering I started to worry. I followed the man's eyes as he turned to take in the twins behind me. "I am pleased you two brought them back."

We all stiffened and turned to the two, but they had fallen to kneel on the ground, Miltia's muzzle sat between her paws, Melanie's shoulders were tensed steel.

I knew who he was, but I didn't believe it. There was no presence, no need to present my stomach, no desire to obey.

"Hey, are we going to get this going or are you going to stand there all day?" asked Yang. If she was as confused as me, she didn't show it.

The man looked at Yang and smiled. "Yang Xiao Long, daughter of Taiyang Xiao Long, the Dragon's child, the daughter of the Slayer-"

"Do you always true name people?"

" I have heard much about you."

"You sure about that? It seems you've heard a lot about my dad and I know for sure he's never mentioned you."

"Your dad knows me. We meet with all the other Alphas after all, though he's been rather harsh to me as of late. Something about not liking what I was after, but I digress." The man's grin turned decadent, his fingers brought the crystalline glass higher, and he drained it dry. Not like a shot, but in slow, paced sips.

I was surprised Yang hadn't slapped the glass out of his hand.

As the last drop of alcohol passed his lips he let out the most cliched 'ah' I've ever heard. He spread his arms wide, his voice reached across, playing to an audience when he said, "You all may call me Senior. I am Alpha."

That confirmed my suspicion and my confusion. This man in front of me was Alpha? He carried none of the machismo, none of the posturing I had come to accept as a part of being a Were. He didn't draw attention just by existing like Yang. He didn't appear like he could punch through cars. His words, on the other hand, were plenty confident. Confident, but not violent. Maybe, we could negotiate.

"You are the person who's been a pain in the ass for the last two days," said Yang, her voice lowered to finish her sentence. "I'm here to put an end to it."

"Show respect."

"You don't deserve it."

Senior cocked his head, more an animalistic gesture than human. His nostrils flared as his eyes swept over Yang and locked on the bartop. Using the napkin with the wooden spear folded in the middle, he wiped up the one spilt droplet on the onyx surface. Once the counter was clean he folded the napkin in half and handed the bundle to Junior, who mechanically dropped it into the trash.

A fist came down and the countertop was no more. Half of the black stone collapsed onto the ground in a cloud of powder and the shattering of glasses. We all froze alongside the music.

Senior, civil as if he hadn't punched through a slab of solid stone, bent at his waist and brushed specks of powder from his pants. Three wipes and he stood. Two hands adjusted his suit vest. His eyes met Yang's.

This was it. Our great plan, cow the Alpha into submission and if that failed, negotiate him down. Everyone had agreed that Yang was a part of the most dominant Weres on Remnant, even disobeying her own father, an Alpha in his own right.

Old wolves often grew cocky and if Yang won, it would be over.

If she couldn't back him down, then we'd move to plan B. We'd fight our way out, though I was really banking on not having to use plan B.

"Kneel," Senior said.

Yang obeyed.

Like a synchronized troupe, every Were in the room dropped to the ground like a stone. Knees cracking echoed in the room like a cannon as they all dropped to heel.

All at one word of the Alpha.

It left just Senior, Ruby, and me standing. The action too fast, too synchronized for me to process. This time when Ruby slowly dropped to a bow I followed suit, staggering to my knees soon after.

If Yang won, it would be over. I didn't consider the opposite.

"Much better," said Senior as he bent down and cupped a hand underneath Yang's chin. The muscles in Yang's neck spasmed and rolled. Struggle or not, a more dominant Were's word was law.

I bit my lip until I could taste blood. I just assumed. I believed in everyone in the car. They seemed assured Yang would at least tie.

"Now, where was I." Senior rubbed a hand across the top of Yang's head, like I had done with Miltia earlier, though with two people it looked twisted and perverse. "You and your sister entered my territory. I was lenient, I allowed this misstep, until you took one step too far."

I sent a pleading look to Ruby, who didn't meet my eyes. Her lips moved in slow motion, but if she spoke I didn't hear it. Could she argue, negotiate against the Alpha or was she forced to obey somehow? Could Senior control Ruby through Yang?

"I had spoken to your father before and I accepted his rebuke for what it was, but who am I to argue when what I wanted came walking right into my arms, wrapped in a bow."

The twins hadn't so much as made a noise since we entered the room. Yang looked to be trembling, her skin damp as sweat formed in small droplets. The fingers curled around her chin tightened, turning the skin under it red.

A bead of sweat rolled down my face as I considered options. I liked to think I was an optimist, I had to trust in my allies, but I would have been a fool not to come up with back up plans. Plan B was out and most of the rest of the alphabet. What remained, minus the plans which had me running away screaming, required something else. I licked my lips, tasting sweat and the sour tang of old adrenaline.

"With you here, I can take his pack. Patch will return to me and then I will crush the rest of the pack. They will come to me and we will make the Werewolves safe. The kingdom of Vale will be united."

"Don't hurt them," I said, standing straighter, while on my knees, to look at Senior's chin.

"You are?" The Alpha dropped Yang's head. Senior ignored her strained gasp, turning to stare down at me. "Oh yes I forgot, my pack did tell me about you. Since you're the only one willing or able to hold a conversation I'll humor you." He smirked. "Why should I not hurt them for violating laws from times before I even existed?"

"If you're using them to take over Patch, then it doesn't help your cause if they're hurt."

"You are wrong. I did have a use for them, afterall I pride myself on handling things as civil as possible, but the operative word here is did."

"You welcomed us to-"

"I welcomed you, yes. As a guest? You could try to argue it." He bent down and grabbed my pink bat. "Junior told me you did something similar."

Words were powerful. In the Midnight World I had used them to save me twice. Once with Junior, the second with Ozpin. Contracts, promises, and guesting held a sway over supernaturals in a way that suggested more than just a loss of face.

Senior spun the bat in his hand. "No words? You were so brave just a second ago."

Words and oaths said by others, kept me alive many more times. My mouth felt dry. "I'm thinking about what I want to say, words are power, afterall."

"It is a fault of our kind. When every race has abilities that can kill in an instant, your word is taken very seriously. Fae are incapable of lying, to ensure every deal is based in fact, for example."

"Then-"

Senior's voice stepped over mine, "Your problem, human, is that words only take you so far. You will reach a point where contracts and promises won't save you and you will be forced to act. To squirm across the ground to save yourself because while words are power-"

I barely saw him move, but Junior dropped boneless and the splintering of wood echoed in the silence.

"Power is power." Senior stared at the handle of the bat. "I am very powerful."

"Guesting-"

"It appears you don't even have the power to squirm." A growl rumbled in his chest. "Ask me the real question you want an answer for."

 _Ruby, step in, please._ "What do you mean by 'did'?"

Senior clapped as if I had discovered an interesting fact, his steps marked him drawing nearer. I didn't look away from his face. "I found someone else to achieve my goal."

I swallowed once, a sludge, which failed to soothe the rawness raking the inside of my throat.

"But, you fail to ask the real question on your mind."

"I-"

He yelled, the mask cracked. The monster underneath peeked out and it was a monster. A ball of white hot rage wearing the skin of a man.

Power. I felt the power now. It rolled off his body and the young man was gone. The man consumed by his wolf, left only the beast.

Power overwhelmed me and stole my voice.

"Once the girl lost, you knew she could not challenge me. The question from that moment had always been, 'Will I let you go?'" He said, in a small voice that echoed.

He was right, the Alpha was right. Always right.

"Will I let the humans go, the one who prevented me from grabbing what was mine. The one who sided with my son, to overthrow me."

The Alpha was enraged. How could I soothe his anger?

"Your group, the- " He swore, adding slurs to the twins' names, "twins and the intruders had the gall to walk into the heart of my pack."

His words were true. Balled hands hauled me to my feet.

"You command me, ask my name, and ignore my questions."

I couldn't disagree, I had wronged him. The fingers clawed into my skin.

"And here you are, trying to blabber a way out."

I no longer could speak, I wouldn't try.

"You're mine to decide."

I was his own. I could feel blood.

"I am Alpha!"

He is Alpha.

"You die."

I'd die.

Bang.

I fell.

Weight pressed down.

Blood poured over skin.

Senior's eyes filled my sight.

They crossed fixed on one thing.

A hole the size of my thumb.

His eyes glazed. Bullet through skull. Dead.

I saw her, gun in hand, just smirking.

"Ruby?" I asked through the path made of brain.

* * *

 _Author's Note_

 _I am prepared for the massive amount of comments and PM's I will likely receive._

 _What was the whole point of this if you kill him off?_

 _Waste of my time! No pay off!_

 _Jaune does nothing again!_

 _You all may be right. Welcome to the Midnight World is my first step into writing things I am not familiar with. In this case suspense, mystery, or suspenseful mystery. In most cases every chapter is an experiment with a different writing technique._

 _However, that is no excuse for bad writing._

 _All I can ask is if you will give me until the end of this book before you make up your mind on the story. By all means keep commenting on every chapter as there have been times I was able to course correct around plot holes and add pivotal information, but please stay with me till the end._ _There's about a third left of the story and if my story boarding works I should be able to tie the threads together._

 _I do have questions for you all. Did this chapter's long to short sentence and paragraph formatting work? Did the tension work? Did the Alpha hold a presence?_

 _I won't stop writing until I finish at least three books I have slotted and I can only hope it gets better after each so any feedback is much appreciated as I try to figure out what works and what doesn't._

 _Please Follow, Review, and Favorite if you liked my work, it makes me smile._

 _Until next time,_

 _Mkspotlights_


	10. Werewolf Wicked Ch: 10

_Whew, there were some very strong reviews last chapter and I can't thank you enough. I had a deep dive with my friends over the critisms to see what could be worked on in the future._

 _I agree with many points, but one in particular hit a cord as I had the same conversation not too long ago._

 _I wrote this Fic like a book, but this is a bimonthly publication. You can't skip ahead of what you consider to be superfluous information, nor can you keep reading to see what happens after the cliffhanger. Dull parts drag on because of the lag in between uploads. Compared to Mixed Martial Arc, where each chapter is punchy and mentions most of the characters, WMW drags on in some chapters and blasts through everything in others._

 _I've thought about that a lot, but concluded that this is practice for an attempt at a real book so what can I do lol._

 _Regardless, the shit hit the fan and now we delve further into Act 3._

 _On with the show!_

* * *

 _Cover art by: Crashman42_

 _Beta Reading by: Freckles Fiction_

* * *

Werewolf Wicked

Chapter 10

My heart beat once.

The frosty haze of death covered the Alpha's eyes as the man's - no, monster's weight pressed on me. I focused there for a moment, before I could resist no longer. My eyes shifted up and center, away from the cold and dead to the bright, burning of Ruby. The one person who had my well being always in the forefront, Ruby Rose, cocked a hip and bowed low. The red tips of her hair, hung from the crown of her head, melting into the puddle of blood pooling toward her feet, followed by one quick movement and she stood tall. She blew the imaginary smoke from the muzzle of her gun. A smirk shifted into a half faced sneer, illuminated by the sparkling bottles hanging on the glass shelves of the bar.

For a distant moment, where my brain refused to acknowledge where I lay or what lay on me, I recognized the label. A hand with no flesh, no sinew, only white bone, gingerly held a red object in its thumb and forefinger. I knew from experience it was a pepper, a ghost pepper, hinting at the heat infused into the tequila that gave the brand its name. Right now I only saw an un-beating heart.

The moment I recognized the organ responsible for pumping blood throughout my body, my eyes focused and my view pulled back.

The image of a killer framed in brain matter will haunt my dreams forever.

Gray, white and black chunks edged the cavity, which a bullet carved through another living being's head. A silver bullet, though in this case I'm not sure the distinction was needed. There was no healing back from this one.

The sticky smell of iron coated my nostrils and down my throat, filling my entire being with the stench, which I've become far too familiar with lately. Blood, sickly sweet with a metallic tang. When I tasted it, I could do nothing to halt the flow from staining my mouth. I tried to turn away, to push the weight off, but the ichor found a way. For what was likely a steady drip I could do no more to stop if it were an entire ocean of crimson fluid.

I gagged.

I choked.

This time I vomited.

My heart beat twice.

Bile came to the forefront and I turned my head just in time to avoid covering myself in my own sick. A growing puddle to mix in the red held the barest improvement. I tried to move, but my body didn't comply, it was too twitchy, numb, and weak from my upheaval.

The howls pulled me from my misery. Thick and hoarse, voices of men roared at the top of their lungs, blanketing the room in their song. The song of wolves. The noise didn't belong in their human throats.

The weight lifted off me, I wondered if I was wrong and Werewolves or maybe Alphas could heal from bullet wounds. However, Yang's grim visage came into view. Her skin flushed and sweaty. She was up and moving, this was an improvement right? I didn't get a chance to ask. She bent down, wrapped one hand around my bicep, and hauled me to my feet in a move that left my world spinning and a burning pain in my arm.

When I could see straight, Yang was gone.

I found her with two hands on Ruby's shoulders, she shook her younger sister once and called her name.

Ruby's face melted, it was the best word for the sudden shift in expression, into a blank mask. It wasn't the cold face of a soldier, nor was it the murderer's sneer from earlier. Ruby's face was just empty. Just as quickly as it washed away, she came back to life. Her eyebrows climbed up and continued higher, the hand not fastened around her pistol touched her temple, and her eyes swam around the room.

"Yang?" asked Ruby in a concerned quaver. She blinked twice, then collapsed into her sister's arms, dead to the world as if she had been the one who was shot.

Howls turned guttural and raw. I heard the ripping of tissues and the gurgle of blood curdling into the noise, but the song continued. I don't think I had to worry about the song of wolves in human throats for much longer.

I would have a much more dangerous concern soon.

Yang swayed on her feet, her grip on Ruby tightened as she looked around at the dance floor. Her eyes hardening as she made the round trip, then softened on her sister. Her eyes met mine and settled somewhere in the middle.

"You need to leave," said Yang.

I couldn't agree more. A quick pivot around the round, left me hopping on the ball of each foot.

Nora's bat was destroyed, but I found the knife still attached to my belt. "We can grab Junior and the twins. Take them to the cars out front and head out?"

She shook her head.

"What if we call The Wizard again?"

"Not a good plan, not enough time." Yang's wild, purple eyes bled into the red of her wolf. "I could push the change. I'm a bit faster than normal Weres."

"We can't fight them all. There's no point." I swept my hands out to the horde of Weres, ripping and tearing at clothes. "We should leave."

"You should leave. The death of the leader, shatters control, the bonds of a pack would echo his destruction." Her eyes burned wolf bright, the vein in her neck pumped erratically. "His death would call for more. A lot more. I can try to hold them back."

"More so why you should leave with me-" My words caught in my throat when Ruby's limp body pressed against me.

"I cannot let the frenzy spread. What happened with Viktor would be nothing compared to a whole pack. For all Weres I can try to keep them contained and give you time to escape." Yang stilled, her hands, almost too gently, grabbed mine and guided them until they wrapped protectively around Ruby. "I would take it as a favor if you take Ruby with you." Yang bit on her bottom lip, her face stony as each word fought to escape her lips, "I cannot protect her from this, not when the moon's call is so strong."

"I- Yang, you can't expect me to."

"You've kept yourself alive so far. I only ask you do it again with a plus one," said Yang, shaking her head, a worn smile touching her lips. She turned her head to the destroyed bar. "Junior, you still alive enough to help with the silence?"

A deep rumbling bass answered her, the voice had nasally hints, and I wondered if Junior's nose had broken, "I can, too hurt to shift, right now."

"Good. I'll leave that to you."

"He was still my father you know."

"Yeah, I know."

There was a two beat pause. "This is my pack."

Yang ignored him this time, turning back to me, I felt a swell of that power.

The same feeling that the person in front of me should be obeyed. I didn't fall to my knees, I didn't fall into a stupor, I felt alive. Then the words left her lips.

"Jaune Arc, leave 'The Club' and escape with what is mine. Protect her in my stead and stay safe from danger."

If I hadn't seen what she had done to Nora, I wouldn't have known what was happening. Magic, some kind of magic of influence or personality. Whatever, the stronger Weres could do. I felt the command hit me and snatch a hold. I'm not sure I could resist, that I had the same idea in mind didn't help.

I lacked Werewolf strength, yet I threw Ruby over my shoulders like a sack of potatoes. I turned to escape death before I looked back. "Yang, will you be alright?"

Yang couldn't answer me even if she wanted to. Her head canted up toward the ceiling and for the first time I noticed a skylight. Shining through the glass panels hanging heavy was the full moon.

A whole day had passed since the insanity and now it was when everything started, night time with the creatures that go bump in it.

I heard a growl, the shearing of fabric, and turned to see Melanie's change. I had never seen a Werewolf change, only brief glimpses, and now I never wanted to see it ever again. The bones of her arms stretched and cracked. Skin tore open revealing angry flesh as bones shifted underneath muscle. Too many teeth in a jaw that no longer fit them, split her lips in a gaping maw as her jaw bone moved with an audible pop. Legs warped and buckled, causing the girl to drop on all fours in a sunken crouch. The finished product, a Werewolf, stepped in between Melanie and me. The creature was all too familiar, Miltia, but it lacked all human semblance she had before. The smaller wolf stepped back until her rear paw touched Melanie's form, her lips pulled back in a soundless snarl.

This was going to get very dangerous.

My feet moved without my brain's prompt. I turned to add speed and momentum to my escape, getting one final glance at Yang, her face caressed by the first light of the moon as the bone in her cheek warped her skin.

I fled.

Ruby wasn't heavy, but I wasn't an athlete. Her frame, no more than just above five feet, shouldn't have weighed more than a hundred pounds, but with her gear and a body of honed muscle, she weighed a decent amount more. My mad dash to the door in actuality was a rushed jog.

I pushed through into the hallway, my feet crushing and slipping across the glass shards, with audible crunches, when I froze.

Howling and roars echoed from outside. My escape had been blocked. Skidding to a halt, leaving a smear of red and the tinkling of scattered glass, I realized my mistake. Viktor, the goons, and Ralph. If the Weres inside had all changed at the death of their Alpha, why wouldn't the ones outside change too? I cursed my stupidity at the same time as cold dread dropped in my stomach.

If one Were destroyed Marcus's carport, then what would happen when- I did a quick count, seven Weres, eight including Ralph, went wild? Could I do something? Ruby's weight pressed on my shoulder. Would I do something?

I would never find out as I turned back and slammed back into the main floor, before my brain understood what had happened. The command. I couldn't break Yang's order. Great, another thing to add to the Werewolves are freaking scary list. I took over direction of my feet and pushed toward the back, averting my eyes from the prone bodies with sheets of fur sliding over skin.

One final howl from the front entrance, this one a full wolf, and my legs pushed into a dead sprint. I slammed into a pushed door of machined metal. I prayed it lead somewhere with an exit, when I crashed through into nothing.

I arrived into a kitchen of pristine, machined metal countertops and appliances. Fitting for any business that needed to pump out food quickly and efficiently, or to feed a pack of Werewolves. That wasn't the nothing I felt so deep, my bones ached. Exactly across from me stood another door leading deeper into the building and I could only hope toward escape. I stepped deeper into the kitchen, into the walkway circling a middle island, with various implements and ingredients still laid on top. My feet glided over the hard tiles, making not a sound, even with my clodding steps. My breaths harsh and heavy, left my lips without a whisper. Grabbing a meat tenderizer as my feet continued moving, I brought the head down onto a cast iron pan.

Nothing.

Not exactly nothing, the vibrations from the impact, still rattled my hand. The smell of grease and fried things filled the air. I saw the pan jump and wobble over the countertop, but no matter what action there was no sound. I tested a few lines and found though my lungs pushed air out of my mouth, no words were heard. Silence, Yang asked of Junior. Hadn't Ruby mentioned it too?

I had made it to the far end of the room and had just turned the corner toward the last couple of the segment to the door and would have missed it, if I hadn't realized sound no longer could be counted on.

The door, connecting the main dance floor to the kitchen exploded from its hinges, smashing into one of the large, industrial refrigerators against the adjacent wall. A ball of brown fur with eyes like blue chips of ice, surged into the room. I knew this one, Viktor. The metal door rocked back and I hoped it would squish the Were under its weight, but fate had clearly left me out to dry.

Viktor hopped back and coiled into himself, muscles flexing.

I like to think I had learned a bit since this all started. Though fear stilled my brain as much as the world had been brought to heel with magic, the meat tenderizer left my hand the moment the brown Were appeared.

The metal projectile smashed into Viktor's snout mid leap, turning evisceration into a tumble.

My head swiveled toward the smell of grease and I found the source, a gallon bucket filled with a dark brown liquid. I shoved, spilling spent oil across the countertop and floor, without a hitch in my sprint. I didn't wait to see if anything worked, I turned and bolted through the kitchen door and sprinted deeper into the pack's headquarters.

Tan wallpaper and mahogany molding stretched perpendicularly onward, illuminated in the dim, yellow light. No monsters jumped out to grab me, no men drew guns, no sound was made. I turned left and ran. Lack of noise didn't comfort me as much as I hoped.

My thighs burned with exertion as I used every ounce of power I had to push one foot in front of the other. I hoped Viktor's claws wouldn't hold traction on tile and grease, but that would merely slow him down. The only thing that would save me would be distance.

I was not up to fighting weight for a Werewolf.

I remembered bags of syrup and crates of liquor, from my last trip to The Club and could only hope the back entrance Junior had led us to then was near the kitchen. If not, I would be running in circles around a place the monsters knew all too well until I trapped myself. The terror came back with a vengeance. My thighs quivered and I wanted to curl up and die. Ruby grew heavier, her unconscious body only dead weight.

If I left her, I'd be able to run faster.

The instant swell of revulsion locked my grip on Ruby tighter than Yang's command could ever have. I had been saved once and my life up to this point had been nothing, but inconvenient to Ruby and Yang. I owed them. I would never be able to look at Nora and Ren in the eye if I abandoned Ruby here. Ignoring a crying dog in the cold nights of Vale, would gnaw on my conscious, abandoning another person to die, would eat through me until not even a bone would be left.

I turned a corner into yet another hallway, which ended in a fork with two paths. I didn't think when I turned left, down the messier path. I stumbled a crate of oranges, following the clutter like a trail of breadcrumbs, with no merit other than the back exit had been very messy. If things were different, I might have laughed. Right now, I grimaced, gasped and found an extra gear in my sprint. I knew Werewolves moved fast and the straight hallways would do nothing to slow Viktor down.

I wouldn't hear when he caught up. Imaginary huffs of air ran up my spine and his rancid breath filled my nostrils. His large claws raked the ground in plowing streaks, keeping pace right behind me, playing with me. I could feel the crazed eyes staring at me as nothing more than dinner. The lack of noise only forced my brain to fill in the silence with my memories. My panicked questions, my terror induced gulps of breath, and screams of pain.

For what felt like an eon, I sucked great gulps of air, utilizing the lack of noise to force oxygen into my crying lungs. The hallways stretched on forever and I almost believed I was truly lost when I came across a familiar metal door, a keypad right above the handle.

I could have cried. I may have cried, just a bit.

I ran shoulder first into the wall, a foot from the door, unable to curb my speed as I stared past the corner to my salvation. I saw the hallway with my escape at the other end. Just like I remembered, crates of fruit and fancy bottles of booze were stacked all throughout the hallway, clogging up the passage until only a single person could walk through. Filing cabinets held full bags of syrups and piles of paperwork acted as a support to delicately balance the piles of things kept. I struggled to catch a breath and the choking feeling of relief as I hefted Ruby and forced my aching limbs to run the final stretch.

I made it two steps before everything came crashing down.

The door leading toward the back alley, rocked open on its hinge. Slowly as if I were in a horror movie, I saw the muzzle first. Then the rest of the bulk pushed past the door, letting it flop open and close, teasing me with fleeting glances of the outside.

I remembered the hallway during the last time, but I didn't remember there was a guard stationed there. Why wouldn't there be another one now? An idiotic mistake, I had been too focused on Viktor to think clearly and it had cost me. This turned out to be a fatal mistake.

Black as pitch and huge, this Were's shoulders took up the entirety of the hallway. Slobber dropped down in globs, leaving a tracking trail as it stepped deeper into the space, closer to me. Its shoulders pressed against the clutter and I hoped the Were would get stuck, but I never had such luck. The black Were crept closer, its lips curling further back with every step.

I froze, my body unable to comply with the multitude of different orders running through my mind at the same time. If I locked myself in the film room, I would just be cornered until the wolf broke through. I could turn tail and run straight into Viktor's gaping maw. Running would only force the black wolf to chase me. That was fine when I was running to the exit, not away from it.

Freezing mid run may have saved my life.

A blur flew past my head and the haft end of something heavy and sharp slammed into my shoulder. If I had taken one more step closer to the door, I would have been hit square. I would have been dead. Instead, I crashed into the right wall, burying halfway into a tower of cardboard and strawberries. A searing pain slid across my back and left shoulder, followed by the chill breeze against my skin. My shirt had been sliced open and I feared for what else. Groaning, I pushed out of my impromptu cushion, the fruit trapping and fouling my movements, adjusting my grip on the still comatose Ruby. I couldn't check on her, I knew she had been slung over my right side. I was moving too slow. When I freed myself, I saw an avalanche of mess.

The hallway leading toward safety now had a miniature mountain formed in the middle. Broken bottles spilled their multi colored contents onto sheets of white paper, the bite of alcohol filling the room. The haphazard tower of mess had looked to have only needed a slight breeze to collapse in on itself and I guessed a Werewolf shaped missile worked just as well. Now, I had a small bluff of trash between myself and two Werewolves.

Covered in fluid and other sticky substances, Viktor snarled at the other wolf, forcing it back until its black tail brushed against the door. The other wolf bowed and tilted its head, exposing the underside of its neck to Viktor, who had already turned back to face me.

I stared down the monster once again.

The dark and looming alleyway, now cramped, sodden and sticky with liquor. The roar of chainsaw and beast, now silent, pregnant in waiting. The monster from fairy tales was now two and I had no one, but myself. I couldn't roll over and die as my death would mean Ruby's as well. Swallowing a lump of iron, i knew I had to try.

Viktor didn't give me the courtesy to allow me to agonize. The brown beast placed one paw in front of the other, nearing the edge of the mess. His body disappeared.

One step, I saw the mountain adjust to Viktor's bulk, a pineapple tumbled off the peak, rolling against my shin.

On the second step I drew my knife. Hooked on the edge of my belt, stolen from the very monster approaching me right now, I fingered the clasp of the knife's sheathe and wrapped my hand around the black, wooden handle. When I pulled there was no metal rasp, no hum of metal. I added no flourish, I just held the pointy end away from me. The point jumped and jittered weakly.

By the third step the blue orbs crested the hill. Cold and hot with anger. The rest of Viktor's bulk followed until he perched his entire mass on the top of the hill, staring at me.

The lights overhead caught my weapon, reflecting off of Viktor's eyes and I knew he saw the small blade. I don't know why he didn't pounce and end me right there. Maybe, he remembered his own weapon and considered the threat I possessed with it.

Viktor cocked his head and let his lips pull back, revealing many pointy teeth.

Silver was the poison of Werewolves, I reminded myself. They would not heal with the same speed from a silver blade. In addition as it had been made gruesomely apparent to me, Weres could die, like anything else, especially one not as strong as Senior was. I could kill Viktor with silver.

I could, right?

Death, bloody and terrible in its finality, crossed my mind. Foggy eyes stared at a hole just above them and the chunks of brain leaking from it. I would have to kill Viktor to escape or he'd kill me. My hand squeezed the handle so hard the vibrations ran down my wrist, up my arm and into my neck. I could run, again. I had the option to turn back and hope against everything I'd make it back to Yang.

Her last words rang, clear and strong, in the silence. Protect. I thanked her for the command and power she gifted me as It allowed me to bear the blade high. I had been ordered to protect Ruby, to keep her safe.

A normal dominant's main drive was to protect. Aggression, control, obsession, and all of the other unsavory traits stemmed from the need to protect those under them. They told me this. A Were, who didn't protect was broken and would be killed anyway. Viktor didn't protect those under him. He called them when he was in danger and yet he acted dominant in every other aspect. He would have been put down.

The final thought sealed my decision. Blade still high, I roared. My yell was no wolf's song, no power filled howl, telling all who could hear that I was a predator. My voice raw with fear and weak with exhaustion, echoed through the cramped hall. My roar promised violence all the same.

When Viktor didn't immediately react, I howled again and realized my voice had come back.

Had Junior died? Would Yang follow? The dull gray eyes burned into my brain, melted and brightened into warm lavender, until the milky film crawled over them like fingers, fogging them over too. I had no clue if Yang still lived or had bled out onto the glass floors, but I had been trusted with one responsibility.

With a wordless cry on my lips I charged. I charged the monster of my nightmares.

Viktor leaned back at my sudden surge. His eyes widened for a brief moment at my action. His body freezing in thought.

I remembered reading about bears during one conversation with Blake. I couldn't remember the details, I just knew it had to deal with the animal's ferocity and odd timidness. I read charging at bears could sometimes cause them to retreat as only other predators charged at a bear. The result would be the bear's retreat, the gruesome fate of one such hunter who tried the technique came to mind, or the bear would charge back. Bears weren't too different from Werewolves afterall.

I made it three steps when Viktor came to, snarling in a growl that sent shivers down my spine. He curled under himself and his whole body tensed and flexed. Snake fast, he launched himself at me, silver blade or not.

I wouldn't be able to take a fourth step before he hit me dead on. Then it would be a short move of claws and the flexing of his jaws and I'd be dead. I wouldn't be able to slide past. The ground slipped and squished under my feet, too unstable for a quick maneuver. I wouldn't be able to injure Viktor. I had Ruby on one shoulder and my back burned with each move. I wouldn't be able to protect anyone, let alone survive myself. I would fail. I should have run. Run away and cry, like prey.

Viktor knew this, as a final spurt of adrenaline kicked in and brought with it the slow bending of time. I saw the wicked glee in his eyes. He finally caught me.

I would fail if I took a fourth step, but my plan didn't need me to. I stumbled on my first, built up speed on my second, and on my third I pushed off sideways, into a door made of silvery bars. Ruby's read end hit the door first, I had no time to adjust, and her body smashed into the bars with a thud and clatter of metal on metal. For a brief moment dread and doubt, flowed through as the door didn't immediately burst open. If the door had been locked from the other side, it was all over.

A groan and the door skid an inch before, whatever had its gray frame stuck gave out, flinging the door fully open. I collapsed into the small space feeling the rush of wind as Viktor flew past. I had no time to cheer. Releasing Ruby, I surged to my feet, and slammed the door closed. I heard the skittering of claws as Viktor landed into another crate of bottles. The heavy door moved far too slowly as I pushed and levered all the force my throbbing body could muster. The door shut and I grasped for a lock.

There was none to be found, just two posts bolted into the frame of the door where a bar would be placed.

The door bounced off my skull as a weight slammed into it from the other side.

My head throbbed as I searched around for a bar, anything I could use to brace the door.

A howl and a slam, and the door jerked again, cracking against my temple.

I groaned and saw it out of the corner of my eye. A cane, just long enough. I reached and stretched for it, knowing I couldn't keep the hold up for long. Not at all, once the second wolf joined in.

Another crash and I blinked away stars.

I waited for the door to settle before I lunged, stretching and feeling more than seeing the cool metal shaft around my fingers. I turned and slammed it down just as another impact came, deflecting the cane from locking the door shut.

A snout with fangs, cleared through the small opening left from my inattention as a paw fingered the opening.

The smell of burnt flesh filled the area, mixing with my own throbbing headache. I was glad I had already vomited as I concentrated on pushing back the tide. Black smoke rose from the contact as fur melted to reveal skin, which blistered and cracked.

A final rumbling growl and the maw pulled back.

I shoved the cane into the two brackets and ran back until my back slammed into the opposite wall, hoping for once my luck would hold true and the intricately designed walking aid would hold.

The deeper rumble of the black wolf sounded and I prayed harder.

Two impacts one after the other slammed into the door, pushing the silver mass out and into the waiting cane's black shaft.

It held, the pristine white handle, swung lazily for several seconds as the Weres pulled back. Another slam came again, but the cane was made of something sturdy as not even a dent appeared on its surface.

The next bang, didn't pull back. Two brown paws wracked the silver bars and stuck fast. Smoke oozed from the contact as claws clattered through the bars.

I moved before I knew what I was doing. My terror mixed with anger. I screamed at the insanity of everything. I wished I never discovered Werewolves, or the Midnight World. Viktor had been the root of it all. If it weren't for him, I would be safe. I would be at my bar. I struck. The silver knife plunged into a forelimb. The blade bit deep, sliding through fur and piercing flesh with ease. A gray point exploded from the bottom of the limb.

Viktor howled and the limb pulled back, so quick my arm went with it.

Fear caused me to hold fast and just as quickly release the black handle. A snap of jaws sounded on the other end of the door just as I pulled my arm safely back through the bars. I hurt Viktor, I hadn't run away, but I lost my last weapon in the process.

A final thud and then silence reigned. A peek through the bars showed baleful eyes glaring at me from the other side of the wall. Viktor licked his paw, the wound weeping a trickle of blood. The silver knife was gone, disappeared somewhere far out of reach. I would not be getting out any time soon and Viktor was not dead.

I fell to my knees, a shaky breath hissed out in a wheeze. I shuddered and tried to bring a slow even draw to my inhale, but it jumped and jigged like I was an addict. My whole body tensed like steel, hard and tight into my bones. I wondered if I would snap myself in two. Both hands rubbed at my face and I scrubbed. I scrubbed and scrubbed until I thought my cheeks would bleed. One movement too many on my left side and my entire back lit up like wildfire. A questioning prod came back red. Red- I spun to take in Ruby's still form.

Her hair, matted with blood, clung to her face in sweaty clumps, her eyes closed as unconsciousness held her. Gentle lifts of her chests told me she was still breathing and for all impressions she could have been sleeping.

I knelt down and guided her until she leaned against the wall, patting her down in rushed movements. No injuries, at least that I could see. A weight lifted from my shoulders and breathing came a teensy bit easier.

"What is causing all that racket?" asked a man.

The voice carried, rich and too calm for everything going on. Turning I saw nobody, but the confining walls, until I finally got a survey of my surroundings. The small space Ruby and I took up was more a floor landing than a room. A long staircase led itself up higher several flights with no other floors except one at the very top, high enough where they could have overlooked the entire dance floor.

The voice spoke again, toward someone distinctly not me. "Would you go check on that for me? I don't want any mutts bothering me until I get this safe open."

The potential threats had jumped to two. Thieves, now of all times. I swore. I really wasn't in the shape to deal with anyone, let alone two new unknowns. My arms wrapped around my knees and squeezed.

The command hit me with a wave of urgency. Escape with Ruby. The words pounded in my skull, sweat formed on my brow as my arms uncurled and reached out for Ruby. If I ran I would be dead. The game plan had changed, but the back exit, escape was so close. The pull of the command whispered in my ear, Viktor had quieted he may have disappeared, while this new threat surely approached. I shook my head, arguing with an imaginary voice in my head, Viktor would be there no matter how quiet it was.

Magical compulsion cared little. I edged closer toward Ruby, my legs already prepping to sprint out the door and make a break for it. To escape 'The Club' with what was Yang's, her words demanding my action. I bit my lip and ran through the order, there was another part to it right? Protect Ruby said Yang's tight words in my ears. That's right, I had to protect her too. I used the words of protection to aid me once. My hands grabbed one wrist lifting as I bent down. Running wouldn't be protecting her, not right now. The iron grip on my body loosened. If I take care of the threat first, protect Ruby first. I could check upstairs and come back for her to escape, once it was safe. The force driving me paused for a second. If not, there would be no protecting anyone. I pleaded with my own brain.

The command must have deemed my loophole acceptable. The autopilot of my limbs released and I could move on my own again, for now.

I sucked in a fortifying breath and prepared myself. I was trapped. No way out, nowhere to run. There were no windows to jump out of. My choices were face the unknown upstairs or the two known threats on the other side of the door. A Werewolf, who was strong enough to fend off several others with just a metal pole, had trusted the life of her own sister to me, a bleeding out and weak human.

My hand slid down Ruby's wrist and peeled the gun from her stiff fingers. The textured grip sat easily, if not a bit cramped for my bigger hands. It was heavier than I would have thought, or it was just the weight of Senior's dead eyes.

The soft click of a door from above and from the other side of the door, denied me time to think, silencing my inner debate.

I could shoot through the bars of the door, but if I missed I would be out of luck. I didn't know how to work a gun, besides pulling the trigger. If I ran out of silver bullets and didn't take out both Viktor and the black wolf, I would be out of luck.

My plan decided itself there. The staircase was narrow, I doubted I could miss in such a confined space, if all I had to do was just point and pull the trigger. Point in a straight line in a straight hallway. How hard could it be? I ignored the shakes that returned and straightened. There was no telling what unknown creature was coming for me, but I knew the silver door would hold back Viktor. My legs felt weak like a newborn, but I fought against the need to close my eyes and pretend I'd be invisible.

I wouldn't hide and wait to die.

I felt a tug on my pants, a soft voice whispered, "Don't go."

I started and glanced down, but Ruby was still unconscious. She wasn't saving the day. I tugged my pant leg out of her grasp and turned to take the first step up the staircase.

"You can't," I heard the tremble of tears in her voice, "You'll die."

She wasn't talking to me, her voice lacked the heat of immediate terror or concern. Her voice felt old and weathered like whisky, mellowed in age. The conversation had happened a long time ago.

I wished I was Ruby, dreaming.

I had to live through the nightmare.

Taking the staircase a shaky step at a time, I answered her as if she had really been talking to me.

"I know."

* * *

 _Author's Note_

 _I tell my beta reader and many of my friends that most of you readers are psychic. Believe it or not I planned everything in this chapter about 3-4 months ago, so I laughed when reviews popped up about guns or the lack of bang, boom, kablow action from the first chapters exactly the chapter before all of those missing things come back to the forefront._

 _Any who, things happened. A lot of things. Now we see how it all pans out. Yang has the entirety of the pack and Jaune runs away again._

 _Ruby's out cold and there's a mysterious crew through the mysterious door. Surprise! Hiding behind the door was … a staircase! Wow, so cool, excellent pay off._

 _Please Follow, Review or Favorite if you liked my work, it makes me smile._

 _Until next time,_

 _Mkspotlights_


	11. Werewolf Wicked Ch: 11

_On with the show!_

* * *

 _Cover Art by: Crashman42_

 _Editing by: Freckles Fiction_

* * *

Werewolf Wicked

Chapter 11

For each step I took the identity of what awaited me warped. My imagination twisted my thoughts until my situation became more fantastical and horrific with each iteration. Some truths only made me more paranoid. The focus being, who would feel confident enough to break into a safe in the middle of Werewolf territory. Maybe they hadn't heard the noises. Would that make them human? Could the other monsters I hadn't met hear as well as Yang? The gun in my hand wobbled as I climbed the steps. Its metal frame felt fragile and cold.

Point at a bad guy. Pull the trigger. Problem solved. Problem dead. What was so difficult?

I swallowed, tasting a sour bite and salt as my head crested over the lip of the stairs.

A hallway, matching the style of all the others, loomed forward. Halfway down the carpeting changed to red, the left and the right walls shifted to glass panes. The right windows overlooked deeper into The Club, what I could only guess was the dance floor. It looked like a place where VIP's would relax or a villain would plot. This was where Senior would watch his minions, it fit the eccentricities of the dead man. I was sure of it. All the information, but no mysterious thief and no muscle sent to check on the noise my haphazard plan made.

I raised the gun as a final step brought my feet on the upper floor. I twisted, looking left and right, but there was no place for someone to hide, unless they were invisible… I shook my head, focus. Focus dammit. Scaring myself wouldn't help. Creeping further into the hall, I passed the boundary of carpets. I glanced to my right and my eyes widened into saucers.

Through the panes of glass I saw two wolves nipping at a golden wolf's flank. When the lone Were turned to snap at the two, a third jumped from behind and clamped its jaws on the golden Were's neck. The two followed and struck the golden Were. They tumbled in a ball, rolling and lashing out with claws.

Bad, terrible, shit. I faced forward; my tepid shuffle gained speed. Yang was fighting, I had no idea if she would last and I hadn't escaped. My teeth chattered and I shivered like a wet dog. My toes felt numb, but I had nowhere to go but forward.

About three quarters through I saw the hallway twisting to the right, several rooms lined the area, windows and doors reinforced with glittering silver bars. The second room's windows glowed yellow; the door cracked open.

As if on cue, a figure moved through the doorway.

My arms locked on the person- a girl, who eased out into the hallway. The nose of the gun skipped and twitched as I tried to keep it on her form.

Jacket, slacks, and a vest. She could have passed for a businesswoman, maybe a banker or a secretary, if said banker had dyed her clothes in a bucket of pastels.

"Don't move," I said, wishing my voice didn't sound like the out of his league kid I was.

She cocked her head, causing the half of her hair, colored pink, to dangle. It should have been cute. I shivered harder. The scariest monster could appear as an innocent child and she was a monster. There wasn't so much as a twitch when I pointed the gun directly at her.

"D-don't move," I repeated, this time louder. My voice two pitches too high.

The girl turned and walked down the hallway, closer to me. Her head tilted so she could watch me out of both eyes throughout.

"The gun's loaded with silver."

A new, amused voice said, "Silver? You heard that, Neo, silver. I guess we should be shivering in our boots."

I twisted and brought the gun to bare on the new threat, the thief. "I'll shoot."

He smiled, watching me under the brim of a bowler hat. "Kid, I bet you haven't even turned the safety off. For reference, see that little wedge by your thumb? You're going to have to flip it up if you want to shoot someone."

The girl, Neo, took another step.

I focused back on her.

"Taking your eyes off the prize, rookie mistake. What if I had a gun?"

Swiveling back to him, the man's hand jerked back, two fingers of his imaginary gun bobbed. He smirked and blew non existent smoke from his fingertips. They were messing with me. In this situation? Trying to keep both people in sight, I said, "Who are you?"

"Why not ask for my entire villainous plan while you're at it?"

My finger slipped to the trigger. "Who are you?"

The man tipped the rim of his hat and bowed. "Roman Torchwick, greatest thief of the Midnight World." He looked up and winked. "I'm here to collect a few things my friend, Senior, had been working on."

The girl took another step and crossed the corner.

"Tell your friend to freeze," I said to Roman, trying to stop the cold pooling in my stomach from reaching my voice.

"Kid, if I could control Neo, my life would be so much easier."

"I'll kill her."

"You couldn't even if you weren't just a human."

She charged me the moment I opened my mouth to respond. My breath caught in my throat. I locked the gun on the young woman. My hands shook so hard I thought I'd miss. At this distance I couldn't. Cold, blank eyes flashed in my head.

I pulled the trigger.

The gun didn't fire. The safety. I was an idiot.

Pink, brown, and a cruel smirk filled my vision.

I propelled myself back as my thumb found the switch. I couldn't let her get close. I fumbled the safety up, brought the gun in between myself and the girl. When I fired a shot, my ears rang, and the blood in my veins went cold.

Just like Senior, the bullet launched itself, traveled a few inches, and penetrated the center of her skull.

I heard the thwack as the bullet hit the wall behind the girl.

A boot buried itself in my gut, launching me flat on my back.

Impossible. The shakes were getting worse. Had I missed? I unloaded again, the first and second shots went wide. The third hit her in the center of her chest. Shattered glass rained down on me as the bullet found a light fixture. There was no blood, no cry of pain, no anything else.

Flickering light showed the girl still standing. Not a single scratch on her. The man laughed.

I didn't notice the roar in my ears until a dry click replaced the sound of bullets. My fingers continued to pull the trigger. Nothing, I ran out of ammunition. How many bullets had I fired? Why haven't they done anything? The bullets hit and pushed through. They were made of silver. It killed Senior, an Alpha, in one shot. Neo walked through the bullets with a smile on her face. I crawled backward skipping back on my rear end like some demented crab.

Neo approached, unhurried. Her boots followed one after the other. In her hands spinning on a hook sprouting from the hilt was an umbrella. An umbrella she stabbed at me like a sword.

I rolled to the side, slammed into the wall, jumped to my feet and missed her move, completely.

Something cracked across my temple. My head bounced off glass. I groaned and threw my arm out to ward off what was coming next.

The girl leaned back as my fist brushed past her nose. She raised an eyebrow and stabbed at me with her damned umbrella. It found my chest and pinned me to the wall. I hacked and brought an arm down on the stupid, pink thing. A clang echoed when my arm met shaft.

A clang?

Another kick buried itself in my gut. I collapsed to my knees, air blown from my lungs. Gasping for breath, I wanted to do nothing more than fall across the ground and never move again. I knew better. Diving, I heard a thump right where I had been and forced myself to stand.

My heart raced as I swung, only noticing the gun locked in my frozen fingers, when it passed through her neck. I gasped and earned a kick to the leg and a thwack from the umbrella that drove me back into the wall.

"Quit playing around, Neo," said Roman. "Kill the kid and let's get out of here."

She was playing with me? The answer was yes, as she pulled a freaking sword from the handle of her umbrella. Eyes lidded, she pulled the arm back and lunged in, her expression grew feral.

I jerked my head out of the way, just enough, where I could have licked the blade. Resistance against my back gave away. The room filled with the sound of shattered glass and the roars of Werewolves. My breath hitched. The threat of falling out a window was the least of my fears. Grabbing at the window sill, I flung myself forward, tripped over my own two legs, all to get away from that smirk and mismatched eyes.

She could kill me and I couldn't so much as touch her. What could I do? The words bounced around in the empty space of my head as the girl whipped the blade up and advanced on me, a smirk on her face, again.

I recognized that smirk. The way it pulled on half her face, how it crinkled one eye and twisted the features of the girl into that of a killer. It fit perfectly on Ruby's face when she murdered Senior. Crazy theories arose, but nothing which would fix the situation.

I hurled the gun and watched it pass through her skull as if she wasn't even there.

She blinked and her eyes had changed color.

I turned and ran before she did anything else.

I could hear her steps as I tripped, tumbled, and sprinted. My feet took the stairs three at a time, her eyes running through my brain and mixed with the image of her smirk. Neo's expressions morphed into Joan's. She changed the colors of her eyes too. I landed and stumbled to my knees in front of Ruby, who was blinking blearily. I shook and hauled her to her feet.

My words tumbled out as I moved, "Ruby, how do you kill a spirit?"

"What kind of spirit?" she mumbled. "Where are we?"

I had no idea what type of spirit Neo was. I didn't even know how many types there were. She was going to kill us and I couldn't touch her. Not enough time. I braced Ruby and took a single step to the door when I saw her eyes widen. I was already moving when her word of warning reached my ears.

I shoved Ruby and dove. A searing pain traced a line across my back, joining the constant burn of Victor's claw. If I survived, I needed to get to a hospital, unless I bled out first.

A blur.

I missed being sliced through the throat only because I bent over to groan.

Hunched at the waist, my sight narrowed. I was hyperventilating. One hand grasped the metal bar of the door, the other grasped for anything else. I found the cane. I swung in a backhanded turn, my roar more a scream of terror. Distance hampered the blow.

Neo stepped in, her eyes gleaming as the blade flashed for my heart.

My elbow caught her in the chin, sending her staggering to the side. Her blade went wide.

I blinked, she blinked, and we both stared at Ruby's grasp on her wrist. I didn't question it. I swung the cane again.

Neo's eyes widened and she bent backward in a move that would have broken my spine. The blow passed by. She did something with her wrist and broke Ruby's grip and hopped back up the stairs.

I brandished the cane like it was a magic sword.

Her brows furrowed, her teeth flashed in a snarl, before she turned and fled.

I took two breaths before I let the cane fall and swing lazily at my side. If only for a moment, I could breathe.

"Who was she?" asked Ruby.

"No idea. She and her partner are trying to get hold of something important during all this," I said, trying hard not to look too odd when I turned to Ruby. "What happened out there?"

She shook her head. "Where are we? Where's Yang? I thought we were driving to meet with the Alpha?"

"You don't remember?"

"Remember what?"

"Ruby, we're at the pack headquarters."

She looked startled at my statement. She didn't look to be lying. I bit my lip and ran through my options. We couldn't stay here, that so much was obvious. The question would be retreat out the door or to chase after the duo. I had Ruby's help now … I think. I heaved a long, drawn out sigh.

I stared hard at Ruby's scrunched expression as she muttered her recollection of the events leading up to her memory loss. No cold eyes, no smirk, this was the person I had come to know, not the face of a killer. Foolish or not, I trusted the Ruby I saw in front of me. I couldn't let the situation with Senior go, but it could wait. Leave or chase after very dangerous people. In the end the choice was answered for me.

A howl filled the small landing, coming from upstairs. Ruby's eyes widened and she launched herself up the stairs. I followed, but for my battered body, she was much faster.

"Where's my gun, Jaune?" Ruby asked in a level voice.

My voice was ragged, "Up there, somewhere. I threw it at her when bullets didn't work."

Ruby squawked at me.

"Yeah, bullets didn't work. I shot her in the chest and it went right through."

"Not that," Ruby said, deadly serious. "Never throw my baby again, or you'll regret it."

We reached the hallway again before I could reiterate the fact bullets didn't work on the girl, whatever she was. I had to bend over and wait till the fresh new wave of pain to blow over before I could speak anyway.

Ruby stared ahead, took in the bullet holes, shattered glass, and the missing pane in the wall where the sound of werewolves originated, and didn't so much as blink. She jogged up with one hand wrapped around a knife the size of my forearm until she reached the middle point, right at the break of the hall.

I staggered along wondering where she had pulled the knife.

Only after she had retrieved her gun, reloaded it, and stared out the window, where her sister's battle still raged, did she glance back at me. Her voice sounding alarmed, "Jaune, are you hurt?"

The pain was getting so bad I could only nod.

She circled me, prodding my back in places which left me hissing, and shrugged off her jacket. She wrapped the red cloth around my chest and pulled it tight.

"Well, well. Call me impressed, you survived," said a voice I started to hate.

Ruby turned, raised the gun and fired, blowing a hole three inches from Roman's head.

"Feisty," said Roman. "Tell me how'd you do it? Neo's not one to get hit very often. Was it you, little miss?"

Ruby's steadfast hand focused on Roman's skull. "I don't kill people, but I can still shoot you."

"Are you joking? I saw you kill dear ol' Senior." Roman laughed. "Right through the head, bang, dead."

Ruby's jaw dropped, they tightened as her teeth clenched. Her grip wavered for just long enough.

Roman tossed a black, shiny object into the air. An orb rolled to a stop several steps from us.

Ruby fired again.

Roman didn't move. However, instead of bleeding with a hole in his stomach, a pink shield appeared in his place, deflecting the bullet. When the pink umbrella rose, the girl holding it no longer smirked. A scowl darkened her features. My expression matched hers; the umbrella was bulletproof.

"You didn't know? By the way you did it I thought you were a professional killer, Missy. Doesn't matter now I guess." Roman smirked and tipped his hat. "And with that I'll have to say goodbye. I don't talk with murderers."

Ruby started to say something, but Roman cut her off and stared at me. "That's my cane you're holding, kid. I'd like it back. Pretty please."

I made no move to hand over the cane as my eyes were drawn to the orb on the ground. Black smoke started to pour from its smooth surface.

Ruby's eyes dropped to the sphere then back at the pair of thieves. Her expression hadn't changed, but her feet inched back slowly.

"Fine be that way, I'll expect you to take care of it until I come to take it back," said Roman, his eyes on the smoke as well.

A bang, a crash, and a howl of victory sounded behind us. I spun around, clutching my chest as my body protested the sudden movement. Stars danced in my sight, yet I saw claws scrabbling against stairs, shapes arced over the last step, and two Weres joined the party. I stared at the cane in my hand. I am such an idiot.

"Neo, if you would," said Roman.

The bark of Ruby's gun answered him.

I must have shouted in alarm, but Ruby focused on the thieves. My ears rang. I didn't care. I had to concentrate on the two charging wolves. I was very much over these two. Viktor being the reason I've been involved in this insanity in the first place. The other one for aligning with Viktor. Maybe it was Ruby at my back, or the pain, but I liked to think it was the impotent anger. I raised the cane with a shaking hand.

A less threatening sight I could not make.

I yelled, verbalizing my feelings in the only words that came to mind. "Bring it, Viktor! Bring it!"

I saw the whites of his eyes, his claws scrambled for purchase. The second Were slammed into him, growled at the sudden stop, and stilled. Both Were's hackles raised. They stared, then both backed up two paces, glanced at each other, and ran back down the stairs.

The tension in my shoulders relaxed. Finally, something going my way.

"Jaune." Ruby placed a hand on my good side, turning me to face front.

Me and my big, fat mouth.

Black smoke filled the room, spewing from the orb, which now glowed a bright purple. The smoke lifted and curled in on itself, yet never spread further than several feet from the object. From underneath the orb, grew a black puddle. It bubbled, something moved underneath its surface. My head craned, but Roman and Neo had vanished. Ruby forced me backward.

My voice sounded as feeble as it did this morning, all bravado gone. "R-Ruby, what's happening?"

She didn't explain, she didn't have to.

A claw exploded from the pool, splattering black muck everywhere. The clawed fingers rent grooves in the ceiling, glistening the white of bone as a black furred arm slammed down. The ground shook, the claw latched onto the carpet, and the rest of the monster pulled itself out.

I thought I had felt fear, had met monsters. I'd been wrong, so completely and utterly wrong. I dropped to my knees, my legs refusing to move as my brain understood it would be pointless. Yang was a puppy compared to the beast that rose from the black puddle and just like Werewolves, I had thought this could only be a story.

The Grimm. A fairy tale creature, the favorite enemies of heroes, who challenged them with legendary blades. The rest of the creature emerged, covered in bone spikes and plates. Its form towered over us, almost touching the ceiling. Its head, a fanged skull with eyes that bled crimson groves down its face.

"He can call Grimm? In the middle of Vale? How- Is he insane?!" yelled Ruby, her gun firing, emptying and firing again as she reloaded. "These need to be put down, Jaune."

I couldn't answer.

Ruby glanced my way and sent me a reassuring smile. She turned back, checked her gun plus her knife, and charged the monster born of darkness.

More limbs emerged from the sludge, dragging with them pairs of burning eyes.


	12. Werewolf Wicked Ch: 12

_Cover Art by: Crashman42_

 _Editing by: Freckles Fiction_

* * *

Werewolf Wicked

Chapter 12

Ruby had once told me she was a full and honest human.

I found her harder and harder to believe.

She moved through a roiling sea of claws and fangs, without a hitch in her step. Ruby ducked under a swipe, slashed at ribs, turned and fired.

If she was afraid, angry, or worried, I didn't see it. Ruby's face only expressed calm determination.

A rend lashed across the ceiling in four furrows as claws swept down on where Ruby had been a second earlier. Another Grimm, roared in pain, before the first could even turn its head.

Block, parry, and turn. Ruby avoided the worst of the attacks. When she had no other option, her blade or her gun intercepted claws. Dispersed, the force of the blow still threw her across the room. Ruby rolled and continued to fight.

Another Grimm fell in a sputtering of that black smoke.

Ridiculous, a single person against a horde. Yet, she culled them almost as fast as they could pull themselves from the ground. Seven Grimm spawned. The number seemed so small to what the creatures could have done if we were not here, if Ruby hadn't been here.

A Grimm charged, smashing into a wall and shattering glass down onto the dance room floor. The wooden frame splintered. Plaster crumbled, raining down in fist sized chunks. Red eyes glared, no dead human pinned against its bulk.

Ruby appeared, grabbed a shoulder spine, and stomped on the Grimm's skull. She couldn't hold it for long, but she didn't need to. Stabbing down, her knife pierced through fur and into its neck with a wet squelch.

The creature gave a last, feeble snarl and dissipated into smoke, just like the rest.

Seven Grimm slaughtered and all was silent.

Where was this super human skill earlier? There were so many times this side of Ruby would have come in handy. Ruby holstered her weapons, flicked her gaze back to me, and my thoughts crashed to a stop.

"Any more?" she asked.

I swallowed thickly, staring at the crystalline ball sitting innocuously on the carpet. I hoped not.

Ruby glanced down and kicked the orb, bouncing it against the wall. Nothing happened. "Guess not." She shrugged and bent to pick the orb up, its black surface now inert and lifeless.

"T-The Grimm..." I said.

"Are real." She walked over to me, offering me a hand up. "But I told you that already."

 _It's all real._ Her words echoed in my head. Images flashed in my memory that reinforced her statement. I choked, "I thought you were joking."

She rolled her eyes and grinned. "You've just threatened two Werewolves, fought a ghost, stole from a witch, and you find Grimm hard to believe?"

"Why didn't you do this earlier? With skills like that you could have taken out all the Weres."

"We don't kill people..." she said, her voice hard as she glared. Only when she reached the end did she trail off, looking less certain and far more morose.

I decided to back track. "Ghosts, a witch, who?"

"The girl and Torchwick. He's not a good person. I don't know about the girl, but I don't think he is the type of guy who would bring the Grimm." She cupped her chin in her hand, pacing back and forward. Suddenly her eyes widened and she rushed to the blown out window. "What happened with Yang?"

The sounds had died down, when I stared out the window the golden wolf couldn't be seen, blood and gore could, however. "She held off the pack after you-"

Ruby jumped out the window, not waiting until I finished my statement.

Ruby rolled to her feet and ran out of view. Just like that, she disappeared. How could I protect her now? Heck, how could she protect me? I knew I needed to go after her, but... I blinked and stared down the twenty foot drop with all the shards of glass littering the ground.

Screw that.

Turning I limped back down the path toward the dance floor. It took much longer than the first time. I had to stop frequently and in the end I leaned on Roman's cane for its intended purpose, rather than an impromptu bludgeon. I had ample time to wonder where everybody was. When everything went to hell there was a whole pack of Weres changing. Yang only considered holding them off, so why had everything gone silent?

I cursed all the way back, sure I was about to find out.

~/~

I stopped in my tracks a second before my fingers touched the kitchen doors as voices slithered through the cracks. A broken voice wobbled and mumbled through explanations that could only equate to groveling. My eyes widened, it was Viktor.

"I did it for the pack," he said. "To make us strong."

"You and your old boss did it for yourselves, not for the pack," said Yang.

The knot in my chest loosened. She was alright, but how'd she have the time to change back?

"Our will was the pack's," he said in a growl, before dropping back into its subdued tone. "The Alpha said we could return back to hunting free, without fear of the weak humans. We would be the strongest in all of Vale."

"Two humans helped take down your entire pack."

"After they begged for help from wizards and used you."

"Like Senior did with Torchwick." Yang growled. "And a black witch is much worse than Beacon."

A pause of several breaths passed before Viktor spoke, "I did it for the pack. A deal, for the pack."

"Were the Grimm part of the plan?"

Silence again.

"People like you always claim to seek power." Yang's voice dipped lower and lower until it hit a rough, gravelly pitch. "Power for the pack. Power to keep everyone safe. Really, what you all want is control, to dictate what others can do because deep down you're just afraid." She spat. "I will do what is best for the pack."

She was clearly the one in charge, it was finally over. Our threadbare plan must have worked out. I heaved a breath. Whoever the new Alpha was, Yang must have been more dominant. I didn't have the brain power to debate how that process worked itself out, I was just glad to be safe. I pushed through the door then, questions running through my brain.

Ruby's whisper came through clearly. "Yang…"

Yang's response came through clearly as well, just not with words. A crack, several pops, and a grunt. My questions shriveled and died. I looked in the open doorway as I stared at my savior's and tormentor's connected bodies.

Yang, with one hand against the man's back, laid him gently down to the ground. Her face hard, her eyes on the other hand, soft. She patted Viktor's head once and slid her hand down his face.

Under a shaft of moonlight Viktor laid there, next to the body of a black wolf. Neither moved, both looked at peace, ignorant in the blood and gore covering their bodies. They could have been sleeping, if I ignored how neither's chest raised, and the odd angle of Viktor's neck.

Viktor had been and would always be the first monster I had come across. He attacked me in the alley and if it was not for him, I would be safe. I blamed him for taking away my normal, boring life, into one filled with blood and death. I feared the man, hated him with all I thought I had in me, but as I stared at his broken neck, I just felt sick.

People died. I read about death in the newspaper or seen it on the news. People would visit me on nights where someone especially close had passed. I knew we were all mortal, but only in the most clinical way. Never had I watched a person die. Twenty-four hours in the Midnight World and I had seen two deaths and barely escaped my own.

Weres surrounding us gave one sorrowful cry.

Yang sighed, "Alright, everyone change and let's get things cleaned up.

People began moving as if this happened every day.

"Yes, Alpha," said Junior, from the wreckage of his bar.

My eyes became wide as saucers.

~/~

The Club needed renovations when we first arrived. Now, I wondered if it would be better to demolish everything and start over. The Weres without serious wounds tackled the clean up with focused determination. The injured ones sat around for a bit and after an hour were moving around helping with the easiest tasks. At the rate they worked, maybe The Club would open for business again in the next year.

The only one seriously hurt after everything ended was myself. I'm glad I hadn't been expected to help, though I could have done without being dragged into a huddle with Yang, Junior and Ruby. Before people had even finished changing, they shoved a set of uniform gray sweats into my arms and quickly carried me into Senior's office. At least they had the decency to carry my aching body and to treat my wounds.

Once there, everyone sat, digesting everything that happened. After a few pregnant minutes, people busied themselves with their own tasks around the room in silence. I could have used the rest of my life to process and I doubt I would have come across a palatable answer. A half hour passed in brooding contemplation.

A cup of coffee placed itself on the short table in front of me, pulling me from my thoughts. I reached for it and hissed when the stitches in my back pulled. They didn't hurt, the local anesthetic I had been injected with ensured my back felt blissfully numb, but the tug on my flesh left my skin crawling.

"Don't pull your stitches," said Ruby as she packed away the obscenely large medical kit provided by Junor. "It'll scar."

"Sorry," I said, reaching with my other hand to take a sip. The caffeine did little for the fatigue. "At least, chicks dig scars right?"

She didn't smile. "The best thing for you right now will be to rest; you don't heal as fast as everyone else."

Ruby repeated something everyone in the room knew. She stared hard at the box of medical supplies. I could guess her thoughts. I said, "Did he have to die?"

She jumped. "Who? Viktor?"

I nodded.

"You can't imprison a Werewolf. I mean, I guess you could, but Weres don't age. It would be torture and the rules need to be upheld to keep everyone safe."

"I'm starting to realize why everything is a big secret."

This time she nodded.

It seemed so long ago, when she explained that people couldn't know about the other things that lived alongside humans and faunus. Ruby told me earlier this morning, not even a day ago. At the time I didn't realize exactly how far Weres and everything else would go. I'd learned that lesson, over and over again. I learned about the brutal rules more and more every hour.

"In that case he dug his own grave. He knew the consequences."

My words didn't ease what was bothering her. She looked away from her box of medical supplies and asked in a small voice, "Did I really kill Senior?"

"No-"

"Roman said I did and I can't remember what happened. When I woke up in the staircase you stared at me like I was some kind of monster."

Guilt. Guilt is what had been bothering her, and me and my charming actions only made her feel worse. Her cold eyes flashed in my head then the firing of a gun. Ruby told me she didn't kill people. She'd told me a lot of things. The cold eyes were replaced with the teary and shaking eyes of the Ruby in front of me, shivering as she packed up the instruments which patched up my back. I believed her words then and I did now, even if I had no good reason.

"I saw you pull the trigger," I said, rushing as I saw her collapse into herself. Where had the girl who slayed Grimm gone? "I saw you pull the trigger, but I don't think you killed anyone. You weren't acting like yourself. You said Neo was a ghost, can ghosts possess people like in stories?"

"Most are too weak to even interact with our world."

I rubbed my side. "She could interact with me, alright."

I got a smile out of her. "I've heard stories of some very old or powerful ghosts doing that."

"Didn't you make fun of me for talking about fairytales?"

The joke was weak, but she laughed. "The ghost would have needed a focus though and I think Junior would have noticed if the bar was haunted."

"A location?"

"Or a Witch," said Yang, spinning in a leather chair, peering at reams of paper so old they were more yellow than white. "A witch could do a lot of things with a spirit, strong enough to take over a person."

I thought of Joan and how she 'worked' as a shopkeep for a store that I doubted saw a customer once a week. Ozpin did say she was very helpful.

"We knew he was in Vale, and he stopped by once or twice, but nothing abnormal." Junior nodded from his position against one of the many bookshelves in the room. "I checked with the others and no one else knew he was directly involved with plans of taking over the Vale packs, then again I didn't even know about that plan."

"It doesn't make sense. Your old man had plans sure, but they're all so basic I'd be surprised anyone would agree to it in the first place. They're all just attack and kill." Yang flicked one of the sheets onto the table. "Pages and pages of the same ideas, ambush, attack or challenge other packs. Nothing on Torchwick and Grimm wouldn't be either's goto plan." She rubbed her eyes. "At least, it proves your old Alpha had gone nuts, if he thought he could take dad out with these plans."

"Why wouldn't he summon Grimm? Those things were freaking scary and a very good distraction. If those things got out, no one would have been looking for Torchwick," I said.

"No one messes with the Grimm unless it's to kill them. They're bad news for all factions of the Midnight World," said Yang. "You can't control them and what can't be controlled is a risk to all of us."

"And a risk of exposure gets you a target on your back."

Yang nodded. "Roman may be a bit of a maverick, even for witches, but he's not stupid." Yang opened her hand and slowly squeezed it into a fist. "Male witches survive by being careful not to be noticed by bigger and meaner people, who'd milk him dry for his power."

"Roman said he came to collect some things Senior had been working on. Ruby, did you see him leave with something?"

"What? Oh, uh he turned and ran, when the Grimm spawned, I didn't see anything." Ruby fiddled with the latch of the medical kit.

"Things are gone. My father became a bit of a hoarder in the most recent years always on about the past and gathering information," said Junior, pointing to some clear spots on the shelf where dust outlined books and the open safe. "You sure you didn't see anything? If you had any idea of what Torchwick took."

"I-I don't really remember. Maybe a briefcase, but I was distracted. I don't know for sure."

"Ruby, it's not your fault," said Yang.

Ruby's lips twisted and she averted her eyes.

Yang, opened her mouth and shut it. Her lips parted again, before she turned a side eyed glance to Junior. She sighed and began rifling through papers. "Back to the topic of Grimm, I never heard of a magic'd item that could summon them."

Yang raised an eyebrow in Junior's direction. He shook his head.

"Have someone take it to Beacon and ask for Glynda's opinion."

"Alpha-"

Yang cut him off with a growl. "Name's Yang, even Xiao Long, but don't call me Alpha."

There was the big revelation again. Alpha. Yang hadn't outclassed Senior's replacement, she was his replacement. When I tried to ask her about it she shook her head and told me we'd talk later. I didn't feel anything different about Yang, but all the other Weres walked very carefully around her.

Junior paused, "Boss … this is pack business."

"The minute Roman showed up it wasn't just pack business. I don't care if it makes you look weak; phrase it like you'll pay Glynda for a consultation if you want, but I want to know who spelled an orb that could bring Grimm in the city." Yang's face had grown to a full snarl. "And I don't think you're able to figure out how it works, nor is the Pack able to patrol the whole damned city for Grimm."

He paled, nodded, and left the room with the orb in hand.

Once the door closed, Yang slumped back into the chair with an audible sigh.

"I hate politics," she said.

"Politics?" I asked.

"It's pretty clear there's someone or several someones sticking their fingers in Werewolf business, heavily, if they got Vale's Alpha on board. Dad didn't speak about Senior much, but when he did, he called Senior 'An arrogant, proud, and violent, but a decent Alpha', which is not bad considering most Alphas are just arrogant, proud and violent."

"I don't get how that means there's a third party, he could have just been crazy."

"Pack business is pack business, we fight amongst ourselves all the time. Packs are subjugated or eliminated every day, but always with their own power. If an Alpha was known to use witches, he'd be taken out." Yang spun once in her chair. "Which means, since Senior did he must have thought he was getting backed by some serious mojo and Torchwick is scary, but not that scary."

"Speaking of Alphas..."

Yang glowered at me. "More freaking politics. Ask me about it later, after my despair sets in." She shifted her attention to her sister and her face tightened. "But, we can deal with all of that later. Rubes, why don't you get Jaune out of here."

"Huh, oh sure," said Ruby, her attention elsewhere.

"It's not your fault, Ruby."

"We don't kill people, Yang."

"You didn't," said Yang, leaving her seat to give her sister a hug and a pat on the back. "Once you discovered the Grimm we had to put down whoever was responsible anyway. Now, why don't you leave this to me and make sure Jaune gets home alright."

Ruby nodded and stepped away from her sister, looking not at all convinced, but content to move on.

I on the other hand, could only think of getting my head onto my bed. Marcus, my job, and Werewolves could all wait another day.

For the latter, never would do just fine.

~/~

Before I knew it, my door stood in front of me, welcoming me back home after a long day. It really had only been a day. My bones ached and I knew I would sleep like the dead. My key found the doorknob and I swung it open to see my apartment, just how I left it. Dishes piled high, clothes strewn around waiting to be washed, and I really needed to vacuum. I savored the process of mentally tallying my chores.

A cough sounded behind me and I turned to see Ruby. Her face still smudged with dirt, with bits of plaster stuck in her hair. She looked like a crazy person. I must have looked worse, though only just. She smiled faintly, her words were a bit hoarse.

"Good night, Jaune," she said.

She hadn't said a word during our entire trip back, chewing on her lip as she considered everything that happened. My peace of mind held together by the barest strands; I was content with riding in silence as well.

I bobbed my head and said, "Good night, Ruby."

The exchange felt odd, too normal for everything I had seen. For the briefest second Ruby looked like a normal girl, someone who would step into a bar and flit around anxiously until she approached the bar and ordered a glass of water. She gave me a small wave and the moment was gone. I ignored the fist shaped hole in the wall as she turned to jog back to the elevator.

I closed the door, locking it and the deadbolt. I squirmed and shuffled things around for a bit, until I found my chair was the perfect size to wedge itself underneath the doorknob. Only then did I take a deep breath. I turned back and moved deeper into my small living room without the fear I was walking into certain doom. I checked my bedroom, my closet, and under the bed, until I could confirm I really was alone, for what felt like the first time in months. I started to shake, my skin itching like insects were crawling over every inch of flesh. I stripped, dropping clothes down in a trail as I rushed into my bathroom.

Someone from a horror movie stared at me through the mirror. My eyes were bloodshot and the skin around it looked pale. Tiny cuts covered my arms, neck and face, leaving trails of flaking blood. I hadn't felt those cuts and I could only imagine how I looked when the blood was fresh. I turned the shower on and cranked the knobs until it went as hot as it could go. My shivering became worse after I saw myself. I thought I had gone into a panic attack when I finally stepped into the shower.

I scrubbed and lathered and scrubbed, over and over again, until the water stopped running red. I repeated the cycle several times more after that, ignoring the soap burning my open wounds. My skin still felt dirty. I don't know how long I stood under the spray, but when I turned it off, the water had been running cold for a while. I stepped out of the shower and wrapped myself in a fluffy, baby blue towel. When I looked back into the mirror I looked mildly human.

The moon was high when I emerged from the bathroom in a wave of steam. I stopped on the way to my room, and leaned on the couch just to stare at its cratered and cracked surface. Its light covered my view of Vale, down to the trash filled canal. No monsters ran across the streets, no gunfire looked plain and ordinary.

A flash of red and a bark. I jumped, got up and saw a rickety car scooting away. I released a breath and closed the blinds, before returning to the path towards my room.

My hand landed on something hard and cold. When I glanced down, there was the sword. _Crocea Mors,_ my father's voice echoed in my head. Its sheath seemed to glow white in the moon's light. I reached for the gift from my father, its metal heft felt solid and cool to the touch. The blade had been in my family for generations, unable to be drawn for as long as anyone could remember.

My father said it was waiting for someone worthy, a story right out of a fairy tale.

Collapsing on the couch I stared up at the sword, raised above my head. The hand wrapped around the hilt, sunk into the soft leather. The other hand wrapped around my family crest. I drew in a breath and drew the sword.

 _Clink._

The metallic sound echoed in my empty room. The blade didn't budge, its bronze crossguard refused to separate from the sheath. I tried again.

 _Clink._

Crocea Mors wouldn't budge. I tossed it to the ground, feeling the pull of sleep turn all stories about magic swords into fanciful dreams.

I couldn't help, but laugh as darkness overtook me.

* * *

 _Author's Note_

 _Well well well … that's the big story._

 _Did the whole ghost Neo twist work well? Eh … I probably could have executed it better. What I thought would be fun hints and little bits of pieces coming together, seem to be more expository, boring drabble._

 _*Shrugs* That's baby's first mystery for you. I guess that's what I get for trying to add all these extra elements to this story, when, in the first place, I find it harder to write than my other one. XD_

 _What's next? Well, I have one more scene left to post, which wasn't long enough for a full chapter, but it didn't fit at the end of here. After that I plan to do two extra chapters, for other characters' perspectives and then I delve into planning the next book._

 _Other than that, I'm off to Japan for a competition. Update schedule shouldn't be too bad, but I'll have to find some WIFI so don't be surprised if it's a day early and several hours off ._

 _Please Follow, Review, or Favorite if you liked my work, it makes me smile._

 _Until next time,_

 _Mkspotlights._


	13. Werewolf Wicked Ch: 13

_Heyo~ posting this in wonky cafe internet. I hope this reaches you all and apologies about the date and time, I got my time zones mixed up._

 _On with the show!_

* * *

 _Coverart by: Crashman42_

 _Editing by: Freckles Fiction_

* * *

Werewolf Wicked

Chapter 13

I accepted the pile of Lien across the counter and collected the empty glass from a satisfied customer. The corners of my lips wrinkled as I bent my arm at an odd angle. Shudders spread across my back. I hated the feeling, but it was infinitely times better than what it had been.

Claws, ripping and tearing. Blood pouring from wounds, staining my shirt red as wine.

"Jaune, you alright?" asked the regular, a man I've served since I was hired. He always had cold eyes, nothing odd about them.

"Yeah, just swell." I put the cup in the sink and grumbled, "Just pulled my stitches."

"Teaches you to go fight with some guy who's pulled a knife on ya." The man pushed out his stool and turned to walk away. "Leave that to the cops. You just stay where you are and make damn fine booze."

I waved the man off, smiling over the lie I told him, told everyone. I knew it was weak, but I had been under pressure at the time. It was the only excuse I could think of through the cloud of fog settling in my head, courtesy of painkillers.

When I woke up, it had already been well into the afternoon. Nora, Ren, and Marcus had called, and all but organized a manhunt for me, though for vastly different reasons. Nora and Ren had been the easiest. I called them back and apologized. I told them I had an accident and would meet them down at work later today. When they saw me, I had to strip my upper body bare as they looked me over. I ignored the cat calls from the peanut gallery and the burning in my cheeks. When the two saw the stitches their faces turned ashen, filled with guilt for leaving me alone. Their guilt fed into mine in a vicious loop. I put them in danger, not the other way around. Naturally, my fast wit, came up with the story of a knife wielding maniac and how I heroically intervened, saving a girl and her sister, but getting sliced up in the process.

Nora gave me a wicked glare and asked questions. Ren crossed his arms and waited for me to answer. I held true to my story, whispering only to them, that Yang's and Junior's situation had been resolved. I pointed to the wounds and said the party to blame was not very happy with the accepted outcome. Junior helped by creating forgeries; I had one from the doctor and another from the police department. He'd been scarily competent in making them. After the documents, Nora and Ren deflated and I hated myself more for twisting the truth.

One day I'd tell them, but not tonight.

Marcus turned out to be the hardest sell. He accepted the story, fully and completely, but that wasn't the issue. The main problem lay with me having the gall to miss work, even after being 'stabbed'. He huffed and he puffed and he almost blew the bar down in his tirade. He stamped around about his car, the carport, and the horrible fact that he had to work one day out of the year. I may not have been cut up with a knife, but I had been cut up by something much worse. I wasn't in the mood to be scolded. I went to work and ignored him.

I gravitated to the opposite end of the bar, which presented itself another problem. I mixed, I cleaned, and I polished glasses throughout the night, next to the furthest stool at the bar. A stool which sat empty, void of a black haired woman with a book in hand. The empty stool made my chest hurt in more ways than I cared to admit.

Blake had not shown up the day I had missed work, nor at her reuglar time today. A missing day here or there was normal, but two in a row was not. Heck, I never knew Blake ever took days off. Then again, I didn't know what she did for a living either, anytime I brought it up she deflected. She could be on a trip, visiting her parents, or even just found a better place to relax. I was just any ol' guy who equal parts entertained and annoyed her. I had no right to expect her to show up, but I caught myself checking every couple of minutes to see if she found her stool and was starting at the last page she left off. Out of the hundreds of times I checked she never appeared.

I knew I had an unreasonable crush on her, but any guy would too. She was gorgeous with an air of mystery about her. I checked the stool again. Nothing. I was hopeless, a grown adult with a highschool crush on a pretty girl.

Wood scraped against tile and I twisted so fast I cricked my neck. A beauty, pulled the stool out and instead of sitting, leaned against the bar, placing her arms right under her ample bust. She was not Blake, but still attracted gawkers all the same. Blonde hair instead of black, lavender eyes instead of citrine, and an exaggerated swagger in her step. Yang Xiao Long took one look around the bar, before turning back to wink at me.

She grinned. "Nice place you got here."

I asked, "What do you want?"

"Touchy. Aren't you supposed to be nicer to guests?"

Guests… the word made me wince. Guesting laws, hospitality, manners, and rules with much more deadly consequences if one ran afoul.

"Don't you own a bar or something?" I asked.

She brushed her hair back in a move that played itself up for the audience watching behind her. "Not much of a bar after we got through with it. Won't be open to the public for a while now, though it's funny how fast a bunch of alcoholic lackeys will work to get their drink up and running."

Yang was an alright sort. Honestly, I barely knew her, but after the hell we went through I couldn't possibly consider her an enemy, though as a friend remained to be seen. I preferred the term friendly acquaintance. Her loyalty wasn't the reason I wanted her gone. The ache in my back twinged and the images in my head muddied and started to flash red. Her very presence acted as a constant reminder to what I went through.

I lowered my head down to her level. "Yang, why are you here? Don't you have a pack to run now?"

Her ears twitched and she cocked her head in an animalistic gesture. More reminders. She turned to survey the room, checked for eavesdroppers, and when she found none she looked at me.

I dropped my eyes.

She sighed, pulled up the stool and slumped across the bar. "Don't remind me."

She had the look of someone who was going to stay for a while. Her attitude while a touch on the dramatic, could easily be described as a woman on a night out. If she wanted to play human, I would be happy to oblige.

I grabbed a rocks glass off the shelf, ran it under steaming hot water and filled it. I set it aside, preparing for a long talk. "Trouble being the boss?"

"I never wanted to be the boss," she growled. "Now, I have to act like an Alpha, deal with the fact that I'm a woman, and make sure the bunch of idiots are safe from everyone else. I need to watch Beacon, and hunt for Grimm in my territory, while getting the pack's affairs in order."

I nodded, squeezing out a bit of whipped cream, the hand made stuff, into a bowl. I mixed the stuff down and poured a splash of benedictine into the mix.

"Not to mention I now have to always be on, always Alpha." She rubbed a hand across her face. "At least here people watch my every move because I'm hot."

I dumped the hot water, placed the heated glass in front of me and grabbed a pitcher from the refrigerator. I poured a black liquid into the warmed glass. The smell of fruits and chocolate spread through the bar.

"Coffee?" asked Yang.

"With a little bit extra," I said, adding in a half ounce of thick, maple syrup. "You look like you could use it."

"You know if you acted like this all the time, maybe the boys wouldn't see you as dinner."

"What can I say? I'm feeling pretty good. Everything's settled and I can go back to being normal."

I placed a shot glass down and poured some of my preferred whiskey for a second and a half. I did a bit of a flourish and produced a match. With a flick of my wrist it lit and I placed it into the shot. The smell of coffee mixed with the new aroma of oak and peat moss. I waited for the fire to die off before laying my mixing spoon onto the surface of the coffee. I poured the whiskey, adding a second layer into the cocktail as I looked up from my work.

Yang watched me with a cocked eyebrow. "I hate to break it to you, but normal is not what's going to happen next. I expect life to get a whole lot worse."

My grip slipped and the last bit of whiskey missed the glass and splattered across the countertop.

"I may not kill you for knowing the truth, the boys listen to me. You're safe there," she ticked off fingers as she spoke, "but every other faction who you so much as give an inkling that you know they exist will want you dead. That thrall at your friends' shop saw us together. Ozpin knows about you. Torchwick has a personal score to settle with you."

"I gave you his cane."

"A man like him would come after you for bumping into him and not prostrating yourself as an apology." She waved her hand. "It's a pride thing."

"Why didn't you tell me that yesterday?"

"I didn't have everything pieced together yesterday," she said. "I wanted to let you have some time to think."

I placed my spoon aside and mechanically worked at cleaning the spilled alcohol, it felt sticky.

"Honestly, I don't really know what's going on now, but I know for a fact that with a little research Torchwick will know everything about you and he'll be lead right here."

I swallowed, adjusted my tie, and steadied myself. "Why tell me anything at all? If I die, doesn't that solve any of your loose threads?"

Yang looked around the room again and mulled something over for a minute before she finally spoke. "I owe you and I don't intend to let a debt go unpaid."

"What? You owe me? For what?"

"You gave me a place to stay after I was out from getting shot and you wouldn't have been involved if it wasn't for Ruby and me."

"Consider it repaid. You kept me safe throughout yesterday. It's fine."

"You aren't listening. You being involved in the first place is because of us. Anything that happened after that doesn't pay back the debt." Yang's expression turned sour. "You keeping me safe needs to be repaid."

"Well, I consider it paid back. Let's just wave this off and say we're even. You go hunt bad guys and I get to be a bartender who worries about the dangerous stuff like rent and taxes."

Yang's fist hit the counter, rattling glasses and earning a few glares from other patrons. Her eyes had the barest hints of red at the edges. "You aren't listening."

I nodded.

"A debt is not so easily repaid." She glared at the people staring and everyone who met her eye found something else to stare at. When she looked my way her eyes were cooler, but still scary serious. "I will not owe you a debt, Jaune Arc, the human. I cannot anymore as the Alpha of Vale's pack. It is our way and I do not have enough clout to change that."

I nodded again.

"Debts are important, Jaune. Don't forget the one you promised to the Wizard. When he comes to collect you better not refuse." Yang sighed, slouching on the bar again. "Don't worry too much about the one I owe you. I just have to keep you safe and Ruby likes you well enough, so it's not as much of a problem as it seems. I assume you want to stay alive anyway."

I grimaced at the reminder of my debt to the odd man. To change the subject, I asked, "How's Ruby?"

"Dealing."

"Senior wasn't her fault."

"You know that, I know that, she knows that, but being the one to have pulled the trigger and the one watching from across the street are two different things."

Two fogged over eyes, a puddle of blood, and a cavity where a brain was supposed to be. I shivered. How could one _deal_ with murder?

Yang continued as if she hadn't noticed my episode. "She'll get over it eventually, but the reason I brought Ruby up is, she wanted me to let you know that she offered to train you."

"Train me?"

"Weapon training, self defense, the things she does to keep safe."

"Oh…" I said.

Ruby's offer made sense, in fact it was downright generous. I would have tried to figure something else out even without the offer, maybe karate or something, but personal lessons from someone who trained to survive against monsters, well… I'd be a fool to decline. Of all the people I met, Ruby was alright. If things had been different, she could be someone I'd have considered a great friend. I could maybe consider her a friend even now.

However, if I said yes, then I'd be signing my name on the dotted line. I'd be fully involved. No backing out. Ruby, meant Yang. Yang, meant the pack. Pack, meant they'd all wiggle and intertwine my life with theirs. I'd be trapped in a spider's web with little hope of escape. I sighed and wondered if this was what signing away one's soul felt like because in the end it didn't matter. If Torchwick wanted me, I would need Yang, Ruby and the pack's help.

I, Jaune Arc, was just a squishy, normal human.

I went back to finish the final touches of the cocktail I had been working on. When I grasped the mixing spoon and began pouring the blended whipped cream, my hands were steady, if not a bit lacking in showmanship now.

"You know if you helped us out, digging into Torchwick and whoever is that's helping him, we could keep an eye on you and get rid of the threat hanging over your head. It'll make wrapping everything up in a cute, little bow faster."

There it was, a request for me to take an active role. If I did, I'd be willingly falling deeper into the rabbit hole. I finished the drink. Three layers perfectly balanced on top of each other. The bottom a pitch black, the middle a hazy brown, and the top a pure white. I pushed the drink halfway across the bar, held the glass in one hand and added the final touch. A spear of dark chocolate pierced through all three layers, dragging the white into the brown and the brown into the black.

"Why me?" I asked.

Yang oohed and aahed appreciatively, but her eyes were wary. "Another pair of eyes never hurt and a human might have a different perspective. Ruby may be human, but she was raised as one of us."

"Did I have a choice?" I asked.

"Nope, but I prefer you to make the decision regardless. Like it or not you've looked under the bed and have to deal with what you found. You're in," Yang said, far too smug, which brightened as she had her first sip. "This is good. What's it called?"

I poured myself a shot, raised it to Yang; not a friend, but I couldn't afford not to have her as an acquaintance. "'Till the bitter end'."

* * *

 _Author's Note_

 _Alright that's it for the official chapters. All that's left is the outtakes coming up, I'm thinking of two, but I might just do one, depending on how it feels. From there we're on to the next book._

 _Please Follow, Favorite, and Review if you liked my work, it makes me smile!_

 _Until next time,_

 _Mkspotlights_


	14. Werewolf Wicked Omake

Cover art by: Crashman42

Editing by: Freckles Fiction

* * *

Werewolf Wicked

Left to the Wolves

Yang

Drug trafficking, extortion, gambling, loansharking, all the ins and outs of criminal income and The Club was elbow deep in all of it. This place had Lien, fat stacks of it. Women, clothing, fine art, the old Alpha indulged in his base desires and made sure there was always money to fund himself. Hypocritical, lusting the things made by humans, who he considered clumsy, inept and weak, when he acted like an animal.

Not so weak, apparently. A human killed him. A human possessed by a ghost, but that was beside the point. Humanity evolved faster than most of the old timers could keep up with. They didn't chase Weres with spears, they didn't need to come in range of claws to kill them. Humans were scary, in their own way. Ruby was a perfect example, she could have killed Senior the minute her foot touched the dance floor. Ruby just didn't want to. She had morals like that. Ruby would always be a shining beacon, guiding people to do better.

Yang didn't hold the same values as her sister. Yang didn't like to kill people, she preferred not to, but she had no problems ending someone who deserved it. What bothered Yang the most was that she also loved it. The feeling of a fight, one where death was a possibility, always got her heart pumping. When she won, the grovelling, crying and smell of fear from the loser; she shivered. It intoxicated her and her reaction disgusted her. Ruby wouldn't get it. She wasn't a Werewolf. Yang was born one.

She knew her birth was an oddity, courtesy of her bitch of a mother, Raven. Raven only wanted power. When Yang apparently failed at getting her mother more, Raven left. Yang snarled at the memory, taking a deep breath to pull her back.

Always angry, always craving violence. That's what it meant to be a Werewolf. Books and movies portrayed Werewolves as unlucky, struck with a terrible disease, or misunderstood. They weren't exactly wrong. Most Weres were unfortunate people in the middle of a pack, who got so damaged their bodies accepted the change to keep themselves alive. What the media missed is that once changed, a Were wanted to kill people. Weres were not misunderstood people who sometimes forgot their own strength. No, Werewolves wanted to hurt people: young, old, women, or children. Weres didn't care, people all died the same. The thinnest sliver of control kept those instincts at bay. Those too weak when they turned had to die, as controlling the beast meant her species survived. Disgustingly archaic. Weres were Monsters no matter how much Ruby thought otherwise.

Yang was a monster.

Another deep breath. She could feel the red leave her eyes, the tension eased from her shoulders just enough where she could snatch control and focus again. Where was she? The pack, right. Opening her eyes, Yang looked over her stacks of notes acquired by Junior. She needed to set a plan and tell the idiots what to do.

They expected it.

She unballed her fists and sighed. Letting the remains of her pen fall into the trash can at her feet, she reached into the drawer and pulled another from what had been a fresh box. There were only four left. Looking back at her notes, she scratched out the ways the pack kept everyone fed. A fed Were was a happy Were. No more illegal stuff, her pen stilled on the last scribble of the page. They'd keep and improve the information dealing.

At least the information dealings were beneficial, she circled and underlined it. She would order Junior to train more people. If she had her ear in every part of the city, she could make sure to protect those under her. She would have to.

A sigh escaped her. She pinched the brim of her nose, a gesture she'd seen her dad far too often do and now she understood why. Her pack, her responsibility. She had to keep them safe, had to always stay strong, or they'd collapse.

The pack did not need Yang Xiao Long, they needed an Alpha. Yang could not be herself here and if she upped and left, they would be left floundering. The surviving members were far too weak to protect their territory and her wolf's protective instincts settled on the members like a net.

Mine.

The pack was hers, like it or not. Mine; the wolf in her head, claimed them all under her protection. Mama wolf didn't care if Yang was content with keeping only Ruby safe. As if to mock Yang, the bonds of the pack yanked at her attention. Her dad described the pack bonds as golden ribbons that pulled from his heart to every member of the pack. When Yang tried to look she saw thick iron chains, wrapped around a two inch thick gorget. One chain yanked at her neck and she could feel Junior's anger. He was pissed, but not crazy. She dismissed it and tried to go back to work, but once she noticed one of the bonds the rest followed. Dozens of chains jerked and tugged her in every direction, rattling with an uproar of clanks. Dozens of people all in her head with their own hopes and fears, all looking at her.

A knock on the door and the chains vanished from sight. The mental overload of the entire pack's emotions faded to the soft pulling of the iron chains that never fully went away.

Yang glared down at another wrecked pen and the same page of work she'd been stuck on before. She asked, "Who is it?"

"Who do you think?" said one of the twins, Melanie, if the snark was any indication.

"We made the list like you asked," said Miltia.

Yang had already known who knocked. Besides the bonds, she could smell their scent, perfume and booze, bleh, but she asked so she could gather her thoughts. She had sent them to create a list, but that had been a few minutes ago. They couldn't possibly have finished already. A glance at the clock proved her wrong. How long had she been staring at a single page?

The door swung open, slamming against the wall with a crack. Plaster crumbled, another item added to the to-do list and another bill. Melanie ignored it and walked in, tossing the papers over Yang's one page of work. She said, "You gonna make us wait in the hallway like good little servants?"

Deep breathing, barely helped. "No?" she answered. "I was thinking."

"We could tell," said Miltia, closing the door with a gentle click.

"The whole damn pack can feel you brooding. Everyone's on edge."

The bonds worked both ways, personal privacy only worked for humans. "Dammit, just getting used to everything."

"Weren't you in your father's pack?"

"Yeah, you should be used to the bonds."

"Being connected is not the same as holding the reigns and I left Patch, for a reason." Yang pinched her nose. "You got the list?"

Miltia handed over a single sheet of paper, with the names of the pack written in numerical order. "It wasn't very difficult to do."

"Not like you'll get much information, considering how weak the rest of the boys are," said her sister.

Yang perused the list, her own name sat at the very top, followed by Junior, the twins and then a large gap. The bottom third had numbers start again with people who Yang was not familiar with yet.

"Not very dominant." Yang pointed at the empty space. "There should be a steady decline in dominant wolves, not a freaking cliff like this."

"Those wolves challenged Viktor, Junior or the boss, and lost."

"Seems odd now that we know that Viktor was a piece of shit, but at the time we thought it just pack business."

"Just great," said Yang, looking at her new pack. They'd been gutted, leaving her with a bunch of submissive and barely dominant wolves. Dominance didn't necessarily mean fighting potential, a submissive could rip out a throat as well as any Were, but it was a good enough indicator of a willingness to fight. Yang, for example, stood at the very top of almost every list. She had a dominant wolf, who'd kill on any signal, her wolf would probably just do it for fun. Those on her list would do so only to protect themselves when lead by the twins, Junior, or herself.

Yang sighed and pocketed the paper, she'd memorize names later. "I want training days started. We have a gym and no one uses it. Starting from now on I want weekly training sessions. I'll go a round with everyone and get people started. Ruby can teach you all some hand to hand forms and shooting."

"We're wolves, not special forces soldiers. We have fangs and fu-" Melanie met Yang's eyes and bit down on the expletive. "Freaking claws."

"Yeah, and your old boss died to a simple bullet. Learning to fight in both shapes means you're never unable to defend yourself. The boys were horrible back when we had the brawl out on the street and I wouldn't have been able to kick your asses so easily, if you were trained better."

Melanie growled, but made no further comment.

Yang turned to Miltia. "Did you and Junior check the turf?"

Miltia nodded. "Bloodsuckers are feeding a bit more than normal."

"Anyone we care about?"

"No."

Yang motioned with her hand.

"The Fae are locked up in their towers doing whatever they like to do. Probably stabbing each other in the back as we speak, but right now, no word gets in or out."

"The Grimm?"

"No word on the street about giant, bone covered monsters eating people, so for now we're safe. Beacon hasn't gotten back to us yet, though they sent the bill and there are a lot of zeros attached to it. Before you ask, no word on Torchwick or his little ghostie either."

Yang gritted her teeth. So many things to do, she grabbed a new pen and started some plans. "For now it's gonna have to be the four of us leading the rest on patrols. I want surveys going out every day and one person at Marc's, the human's working place, at all times. He's made it past the first day exposure, which makes him an anomaly. A tasty anomaly." Yang failed to mention her private meeting with Jaune.

"Bait," said Melanie, with a toothy grin.

"Not bait."

Miltia opened her mouth.

"No, not to muscle him into being hush-hush either."

Miltia said, "I was going to say that the human's been here for a while now."

Snap. Another pen broke, only one left. Yang counted to three. "Why has no one told me?"

"Cuz, those who've tried were scared away."

Yang counted to ten, she even tried a fancy breathing exercise Ruby recommended. She closed her eyes, breathing in then out, and tried the bonds. This time she followed the chains. Fear, anxiety, and was that concern? Huh… the twins were concerned?

Melanie's eyes narrowed, Miltia's rolled.

"Are you coming or what?"

"Doesn't make much sense for you to be hiding back here when it was your idea."

"It was Ruby's idea to start what we used to do in Patch," Yang said, cracking her neck before standing. She glanced over her new subordinates, her pack, and felt a hint of smugness tugging at her lips. "I just added the extra bit to fit the season."

""Whatever""

Yang snorted feeling the tension sliding off her ever so slowly. She could worry later; right now, it was time to make an appearance. She ducked under her desk, grabbing a small paper bag and motioned for the twins to go. As she followed the two girls out of the room and down to the dance floor, she couldn't help but grin at the outfits they had made.

"A devil and an angel, really?" Yang's grin grew as she noticed the two girls had went as far as adjusting their makeup to fit their costumes. They put in some effort.

Melanie and Miltia, both paused to send a glare Yang's way.

Melanie, wearing a frilly, white dress with a taped on pair of feathery wings, jutted out her chin. "Yeah, you got a problem with our outfits?"

Yang's grin reached shit eating proportions as she watched a yellow halo, attached to a thin wire, bob up and down on the girl's head. She broke into full blown laughter when Miltia slipped on a tiny pair of plastic horns.

Miltia didn't appear bothered, then again, her outfit looked closest to what they normally wore, if one ignored the wings and tail peeking out from her dress. She shrugged. "You didn't give us much time to plan."

Yang waved her hand. "No, no they're great, but don't you think you got it wrong? I'm pretty sure you should have switched costumes."

The twins exchanged glances before staring at Yang with raised eyebrows.

"No, we got it right," Melanie said.

"You definitely need to have a better look at the bonds," Miltia said. "See what we're really thinking."

"Or don't?"

"Or don't."

Yang thought she saw Melanie blanch at the idea and wisely decided to avoid the topic from now on. Pushing forward, she led the group to the dance floor.

Cracked and covered in tarps, her club had seen better days. However, there were no glass shards sticking into people's shoes, no sparking wires, and most of the blood had been scrubbed off. It was a work in progress, helped with a few fancy arrangements of flowers, placed in pumpkins, courtesy of Ruby and Melanie, of all people. The place, ugly as it may be, gave off the perfect vibe for tonight's event.

She caught a whiff of citrus and followed it until she found the human. Jaune always carried with him the scent of liquor, the good stuff, aged, fruity and oaken, though he never carried it on his breath. She found Junior too and discovered why he was so pissed.

Both of the bartenders claimed separate corners of the shoddy plank of wood the pack called a bar. Jaune had a satisfied look on his face or at least on the bottom of his face, as his eyes were covered by large, orange goggles. The rest of his outfit look no better, a green monstrosity of spandex that hugged parts spandex really shouldn't. Regardless of whatever costume he was wearing, he looked unfazed shooting a confident grin and taunted Junior, who unoriginally, wore a pair of brown wolf ears.

The two men continued to shoot snide comments and they added the finishing touches on their drinks. For a bunch of Werewolves who couldn't get drunk they sure loved their booze. With a gleam in their eyes, a few of the pack inched closer to the two bartenders. Alcoholics, all of them.

Yang made it to the bar. "I didn't think we invited you to find out who the better bartender is."

"There's no need to see, when I know I am," said Junior.

"I didn't either, but while I was waiting, talking became boasting and finally..." Jaune shrugged. "I'm confident in my skills."

The wicked gleam in the twins' eyes told her there were some stakes in this contest. Junior's sour expression meant it was probably humiliating. Yang decided to play along. "What's on the menu?"

"A strawberry sunrise."

"With a little umbrella…"

"Now, I'm suddenly interested. Let's see what you guys got."

Junior presented his mix first, a pomegranate red liquid filled a tall glass. A spear of strawberries and an orange slice balanced on the brim of her drink, with the aforementioned umbrella floating on a layer of ice. It looked good, smelled better and tasted - she cautioned another sip. Yeap, tasted strong, but not overpowering. In fact it blended so well together, Yang would have missed it, if she wasn't looking for it. The flavor of fruit had the bite of a strong alcohol, though she wasn't experienced enough to know which.

Junior smirked at her expression and leaned back against his bar, only to scowl when his fake ears slipped off his head.

Jaune presented his own and the two drinks could not look further apart, besides the little umbrellas. Bright, sunshine yellow liquid filled the glass, with a tiny dollop of a ruby red at the very bottom. Yang reached for the glass, a long necked, thin thing, fearing she would snap it just by holding it. She took a sip, tried again,sighing in appreciation. It was smooth, sickeningly sweet, and she couldn't even taste the alcohol.

"Well? Who won?" asked Miltia.

Yang pointed to Jaune's. Junior's had rated as one of her favorite drinks, but Jaune's had taken the very top.

"What- how?!" Junior reached for Jaune's drink and sipped. His eyebrows furrowed and he glared daggers at the human.

Jaune looked unashamed. "Yeap, it's a virgin drink." Yang must have looked puzzled because Jaune continued, "There's no alcohol in it."

"The human cheated," Junior said to Yang and the twins. He turned to Jaune. "That's cheating."

"Normally, I wouldn't do that to a paying customer." Jaune shrugged. "But in a contest I don't see a problem."

"Wait, the reason I couldn't taste the alcohol was because there was none?" asked Yang.

"A strawberry sunrise is a drink that masks the alcohol with overly fruity syrup and juice. It's more a smoothie than anything else." He rolled his eyes. "So why try to hide the alcohol in the first place?"

Junior, the twins, and several members of the pack who came to watch the fireworks looked aghast at the idea of a drink with no booze, but Yang could only laugh.

She heard her sister rush up even before Ruby spoke, "Yang, we're about to start and you're not even in costume!"

Yang raised her paper bag. "It's right here."

"A paper bag?"

Yang thunked her sister on the top of the head, or at least tried to as Ruby slipped out of the way before she could. Instead, she opened the bag and slipped on the contents. First was a navy blue jacket with dozens of buttons, embroidery, pockets, and the seal of Vale scribbled on her right shoulder. They matched her shorts and gave off a crisp, uniformed look, though no uniform would hug so tightly to a person's body. Finally she slipped on the officer's cap and a pair of large, black sunglasses.

When Yang clipped a pair of horns to her hair, Ruby asked, "A police officer?"

Melanie added, "A slutty police officer."

"With horns," said Miltia. "I did it first."

"Hey, you're speaking to a ranking officer," Yang said, pinning a plastic badge to her chest. "That's a slutty _police captain_ to you."

"What's with the horns?" asked Jaune.

Yang placed both hands on her hips and posed for the peanut gallery. "I'm also a dragon."

"A Captain Dragon?"

"That's right."

"Oookay…"

"You look great," said Ruby, tugging her sister to the stage. "Now get up there, you wanted to go first."

Grinning, Yang ascended the steps with her fragile looking drink in hand and walked to the edge of the stage, where a single mic had been set up. Without the hum of the blender she could clearly hear Jaune talking with her sister.

"What's going on?" he said.

"Pack bonding. We used to do this in Patch, where each member had to do a small act. It helped everyone grow closer."

"An act?"

"Anything they enjoyed or were good at."

"Why are you putting in ear plugs?"

"Being good and enjoying something does not always mean the same thing." Ruby was always a critic.

Yang grabbed the mic and paused to look over her audience. The entire pack had been required to come in costume, and most resisted at first. She explained and calmly said that attendance was mandatory, one of her first orders. Now her pack milled around the stage in costumes that must have been the last on the shelves. Yang saw a mummy made of toilet paper, far too many Werewolves or people with wolf ears, and a scattering of witches, vampires, and faires.

"This will start the first pack bonding of the new Vale pack." Yang paused for some polite clapping. "What a good day for our little talent show, you all look great by the way. Happy Halloween!" Mumbling came from the crowd, much better, though it hadn't even started yet. "Have I ever told you all the story when a Werewolf, a human, and a Vampire walked into a bar? No? Well, let me tell you, it gets pretty hairy."

Groaning this time, which to her was the best applause.

"Yeah, the Vampire wanted a bite- I know, you all must be howling with laughter, but wait until the punchline. I promise you're in for a treat, no tricks I swear."

Louder groaning, someone shouted in pain, and another had the nerve to throw a wadded up ball of paper.

"Alright, alright, how about this, a while ago I got a call from my fellow cops that one of our wolves was chasing people on bikes. At first I was worried, but then I said that he was being ridiculous . Our wolves don't even own bikes! Eh, eh? Come on that one was pawsitively funny." She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. "Phew, that one is furever funny. If you're not laughing by now, I must be barking up the wrong tree, but my wonderful jokes are not the only reason we're here."

Recently repaired spot lights blazed on, illuminating a single spot on the entire dance floor, right on top a very shocked Ruby. Her costume, complete with basket and a long, red cloak, fit all too well now as an entire room of wolves surrounded her.

"W-what?" she stuttered. "Yang, what's going on?"

Yang ignored her sister. "Today is a special day for my dear sister. Due to how busy we were I think she may have forgotten that normally, she'd be prancing around trying to milk dry anyone who would listen because today is her birthday."

Ruby's panicked expression turned bright, but she hadn't let Yang finish.

"And as her big sister I feel it is my honorable duty to do the following." Yang's smile filled with teeth and she bellowed the song out as loud as she could. "Haaaaaapy Birthday to you~" Yang was terrible, her pitch out of tune, more passion than skill, but she sang the second line louder than the first. She pulled on just a bit of an Alpha's power and gestured to the crowd of Weres. "Sing."

""" **Happy Birthday Dear Ruby~** """

The entire room sang, some having to be forced, but most with various levels of enthusiasm. If the members of her pack were enjoying Ruby's suffering as she slowly turned red as her cloak ... well, she was just doing her job as a big sister.

The song reached its end and Ruby passed through a violent rainbow of colors in her cheeks, until she meekly bobbed her head in thanks. She didn't receive many gifts, Yang didn't expect her to, though she had tucked one away to give to Ruby privately. Jaune's small box was polite, Melanie's was nice considering the two had begun to talk more and more, Miltia followed her sister, but Junior was a surprise.

The big man approached and offered Ruby a huge box, wrapped with multiple bows, setting her off into another spat of embarrassment and panicked twitching.

The scene was nice. The revelation shocked Yang. Maybe, just maybe, she could get used to this.

She took a swig of her drink and did a quick check. Over the pain of her jokes and exasperation, the bonds had the barest hint of amusement. Yang grinned, bopped the mic, and announced her comedy skit wasn't over. She dived into another one of her prepared jokes, the clinking of the iron chains covered up by louder groans and booing.

* * *

 _Author's note_

 _Happy Halloween and Happy Birthday to our favorite red hooded girl._

 _Why did I do this scene?_

 _Because it's fun dammit … and I wanted to add little character shorts at the end of books that flushed out a bit of things I doubted I would ever get to explore in the normal plot. Basically omakes and we even got a bit of a bartender off that someone else mentioned a while back in comments. Ah good laughs._

 _I posted this story, as a one shot, last year on Halloween, so this marks the official one year anniversary of this story! Happy claps._

 _With the end of this chapter I'll be starting a one month planning session._

 _I know not all of you were happy, maybe even most of you, with how I ended book one, so I'll be taking this time to refine what I have planned and maybe rearrange some things. I'll be back, hopefully better than ever._

 _See you all in a month!_

 _Until next time,_

 _Mkspotlights_


End file.
